The Setup

A lot of people are asking me how I got plugged in with Calvary Cross-Link.  They want to know the details.  The how, who, what, and why.

Undoubtedly, God completely set up my whole summer for me just as He has set up all my days (Jeremiah 29:11).  But this post in particular is how He setup this season of my life:

Gabby and I with a Puppy We Wish Was Ours

In my junior year of high school, I decided that I would major in English and become a teacher.  I had already had my heart set to attend JMU (James Madison University) through falling in love with it during my frequent visits to see the most beautiful girl in the world, Gabrielle Gardner.

I applied as soon as the early-action applications came out and was accepted into the Class of 2015 as a English/ Secondary Education major.  Go Dukes!

At JMU, we have this event called CHOICES (like an open house) where accepted students get to come and check out the university for a day and see what their program has to offer.  Naturally, I wanted to go to the English Department's Open House.  The English Open House, coincidently,  was paired with the Department of Philosophy and Religion's and they explained how do-able it was to double-major, so I was like sign me up!

GoTell, Wilroy Baptist Youth, 2011

The summer after my senior year (summer before college), I got the awesome opportunity to go to a Go Tell Ministry camp in Georgia with Gabby's church (Wilroy Baptist Church).  At camp, Gabby and I both stepped out in a call to dedicate our lives to ministry in whatever God has for us.  Together or separate, our life's mission was now to share the Gospel anytime and any place; mission trips, at the store, in the high schools we would possibly be teaching in (both planning to be teachers at the time), wherever.

After camp, I was like this is so sweet!  I will go to college, five-year program, get out, teach English, witness to kids, mentor, stoked!  But then I started looking into the Religion major at JMU more and more.  In my study, I found that there was a Pre-Seminary concentration where I would have a special advisor that would work with me in my Religion major to help me choose classes to prepare for seminary if I was to go.  So I said, why not?

Me with my Small Group Leaders, Brandon & Nate

My freshman year of college was getting closer and closer to being over, and I was starting to like my English classes less and less.  It started weighing on me that I couldn't go to high school and teach English everyday for the rest of my life and there were more important things than what this or that author meant in their text.  I have the utmost respect for teachers but it began gnawing at me that it wasn't for me.  That's when the Holy Spirit started pushing me more and more towards full-time ministry.

Entrance, Stage Left, Calvary Cross-Link:

Three or four months ago, a girl that Gabby disciples/ mentors named Diana asked Gabby to come with her to Calvary Cross-Link (led by Pastor John Welborn) one Sunday morning to check it out because she thought that Gabby would really like it.  Of course, Gabby really liked it and wanted me to come the next week to make the decision about if that's where we would start going while at school.

Pastor John mentioned that he was taking classes at Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary (a school that I heard about while at camp in Georgia) which, I had been looking into as a future possibility.  Needless to say, this God-wink grabbed my attention and knew that Calvary Cross-Link was legit- Gabby and I kept going.

A couple weeks later, Gabby and I went to Sunday School.  When it starts, they break up into "care groups" that share their prayer requests.  After introductions, I shared that Gabby and I were praying about summer plans (I might be working at a camp and she was either staying in Harrisonburg at Chick-Fil-A or coming home to Suffolk).  Then, Pastor John's wife, Ashley (who was in the class), told me that I should talk to John about interning with him because before their family was at Calvary Cross-Link and were full-time evangelists that they had hired interns all the time and we might be able to work something out.  I got some more details from her after and called the church that week to set an appointment.

Pastor John Welborn

I met with John the following week and we got to know each other more.  He asked me about what I felt like my call was and I told him my whole story.  Long story short, he told me to type it all up and send it to him and I did so that same night!

He called me a couple days later to set up a lunchtime for the two of us the following week to discuss it all more.  During that lunch he told me that after meeting with his leadership team, they decided to go through with it and that I would be working with him all summer!!

In between all this a lot was going on!  I had been given a spot on staff at Triple R Ranch for the summer, I wasn't sure how my family would respond to me being in Harrisonburg the whole summer, Gabby and I would be apart, and my car was spotty.  None of these were obstacles for God.  He blessed me with a godly boss at Triple R, Jeanette, who would hold my spot until I knew about the job at Calvary, my family wanted me home but were very supportive and excited, Gabby said, "DO IT!", and my Grammy was in the process of getting ready to buy a new car and passing her's down to me.  God set it all up.


I called Jeanette at Triple R back and explained the whole situation to her and she said that she was very happy for me and wanted people to be where God wanted them and she would be praying for me.  Everyone in my family was on board with me staying in Harrisonburg and shadowing Pastor John.  Gabby (as always) was my main supporter has she has been unfailingly for the past three years and my Grammy was getting closer and closer to getting her new car.

Finals week happended, then I went to Frisco in the Outer Banks for a week with some awesome people for beach week, came home, received my Rav 4 from Grammy, passed down my first car "White Lightening" to my cousins, celebrated Mother's Day, and hit the road for Harrisonburg to continue on the journey that God had already planned for me.

God has plans for my summer.  He has plans for my entire life.  He is going to prosper me, He will give me hope, and a future.  All I have to do is listen as He speaks.