Life is certainly full of big and little "defining moments" that can extend into either big or little journeys. Today I would like to take you through a "defining moment" of mine that has catapulted me onto a journey of a lifetime. It all started a little over four years ago in the summer of 2014.
For one week, I was at a camp in northern Michigan. It was my 2nd year attending, but something different happened that year. One night near the end of the evening service, I decided to share part of my testimony. When the service was over, I walked down to the snack shop and a middle-aged woman stopped me to thank me for sharing my testimony. She also let me know that her husband saw something prophetic about my life and wanted to tell me about it. It wasn't long after she said this when he came over to us and introduced himself to me. He began to tell me of what he had seen. He said that by the time I'm 22 years old, I will be married, have kids/a kid on the way, and be in ministry. I thanked him for sharing that with me and when I got back to my cabin I wrote down everything. Almost immediately after I began to ponder the ways this prophecy could fit into where I currently was at in life. The ministry part was easy; I had already been very involved with my current home church for years and had recently become the Youth Worship Leader. I also had plans to attend a college in Minneapolis, MN called North Central University. I would study worship arts and biblical studies. It would be so easy for that school to be the answer to a majority of the prophecy. I soon had it all planned out; I would go there for four years, meet the man I want to marry, and perhaps even get married after graduation. But kids? Or even a kid on the way? That had to be impossible.
On top of that not seeming to fit into my timeline, I wasn't so sure I could even have kids. My Aunts on my dad's side of the family either didn't or couldn't have kids or got very lucky with the one they did have. I thought the chances of me having children was very unlikely. But still, hearing that I would gave me hope for the future and whether I could or couldn't have my own biological children, I still wanted to adopt and/or foster.
As it turned out, I did get accepted into North Central University-- that was the good news. The bad news-- finding out how much it was going to cost per year to attend the school. I felt called to become a worship leader in either my home church or a church very similar, and with the cost of tuition in mind, I began to wonder if I really needed to go into debt or even to school at all. Either way, I ended up taking a year off, and in that time I learned about a ministry school in Atlanta. The following year I became a student there and met a wonderful man named John. After a few months into my second year at the school, he unfortunately had a serious skateboarding accident. A week later we left to visit his home state, Delaware, for Thanksgiving break and decided to stay there. The next month we were engaged and two short months later, we eloped. It wasn't long after we got married that we discovered...
I was pregnant for the first time.
Now, you can probably imagine our excitement. At this point in time, I was about to turn 22 years old. I'm married, I'm still sort of involved in ministry, I'm pregnant... Everything was coming true!
But a few weeks later, something started to not feel so right. Six weeks into my pregnancy I had a miscarriage. Since then I had been trying to find a way to write about it, to talk positively about it, encouragingly even, but... I don't think I could ever find the words to accurately describe the emptiness I felt when my HCG levels went from 10,000 to 1,000 in several painful minutes. The miscarriage was complete. But it felt like so much was missing.
The miscarriage hurt both my husband and I in different ways. As hard as it was to keep going and as much as I wanted to give up, I couldn't. God began to change my thoughts towards the situation. I was comforted with the thought that this pregnancy was the foundation for something big. Just because I wouldn't be able to see this baby until I get to Heaven, doesn't mean that it didn't teach me something good about God's promises. He hadn't taken me this far just to leave me there. Soon I found the strength to get up, go to work, and all the while kept His promise in mind.
Months later, in June, I was in Michigan visiting my parents/extended family. As I was laying back on my parents couch, a vision came to me. I saw myself in the same position, same time of year, only this time I had a big, round, pregnant belly before me. The vision was just a momentary image, and in the next moment, when it was gone, I began to wonder if I really had seen what I just saw. Knowing that I have the gift of prophecy and discernment, I believed what I saw was true. One of these summers I would be pregnant, and well with child at that. About a month later, I heard God clearly say within me that I would be pregnant this winter. With both these things in mind, I continued on with life as normal and chose to focus on not figuring out how it was going to happen, nor try to make something happen.
August 25, 2018 was a hard day for me, to say the least. That was the day I was planning to have my baby shower. Instead, I spent it celebrating someone else's baby shower. It wasn't hard to share in her excitement and wish her well into motherhood, but it still hurt like a dull ache in my heart and empty womb.
September was a whirlwind of a month, to put it lightly. Every day I felt nauseous. When it had been going on for a week with no other symptoms, I thought that I might be pregnant. I took a pregnancy test and it came back negative but the unexplained nauseous feeling continued.
Mid-September I sold our Honda Civic (good riddance) and got a much newer, more reliable Ford Focus. Well, not even a week after having my new ride, I was rear-ended and decided to immediately go to the hospital to make sure everything was okay. While I was there, my doctor let me know that I was just about two weeks pregnant.
Today, on December 11, 2018, I am 13 weeks pregnant. I can't fully tell you all how absolutely victorious it felt to pass my six-week mark with flying colors.
I very much look forward to meeting our first baby in Heaven. I'm so glad that he/she is being well taken care of by our Heavenly Father.
I haven't yet gotten to see an OB/GYN as I am waiting for my insurance to get fully set up here in Michigan. So for now, I will share my exciting news and what pictures I do have of my growing belly, and be sure to follow up on social media with ultrasound pictures when I get them.
The lesson here: God IS the promise maker. He IS the promise keeper. Don't try to figure it all out in your own understanding. Rest in His promises and continue to do the work that He has laid before you.
Thanks for reading. Stay blessed.
Tuesday, December 11, 2018
Wednesday, October 3, 2018
Entry #13: “Live With No Regrets”
“Live with no regrets.”
This was a wonderful, inspiring, and encouraging life motto I took on some years back. It was great, it was helpful, it helped me consider my options that much more, and it helped me think clearer.
Until it became more of a burden than a relief.
I got so caught up in “living with no regrets” that I almost forgot to actually live. I viewed my regrets as failures in life and allowed them to beat me up.
I’ve noticed that I’m not alone in thinking this way about failures. Regrets and failures can equally be viewed as solely negative things rather than positive.
I had a view of my “regrets” as an overall failure in life.
But lately the tables have turned on people’s view of failures. Failures are what shape us; failures are merely a detour to where you were supposed to go.
If regrets lead to a failure or vice versa, and failures can be viewed as a good thing, then wouldn’t a “regret” be seen the same? Shouldn’t it be seen the same?
This is what I’m pondering this morning.
I had gotten so caught up in “living with no regrets” that I actually ended up with some regrets anyway. I thought the other option would surely lead to a regret of some kind. But now I’ll never know. And I have to be okay with that.
I can’t let the possibility and probability of each option leading me to a regret deter me from actually living life. All I can really do is seek God on the choices, choose, and let myself be at peace no matter the outcome.
Regrets, like failures, shape us too. They teach lessons. Are we willing to learn? Are we ready for life’s constructive criticism? Can we withstand it? My encouragement is that we should be. Not all of us are there yet, and there’s nothing wrong with that. That’s why those of us who are should be lending hands to those who aren’t and remind them that it’s not the end of the road just yet. It’ll be okay.
Wednesday, December 6, 2017
Entry #12: The Deciding Factor
Hey everyone, today I bring fresh news of where life is taking me. For Thanksgiving break, I got the most marvelous opportunity to fly to Delaware with John. It was truly a blessing to see where he grew up and meet his family in person. While we were away from Atlanta, we talked about how peaceful Delaware is and how we both slightly dreaded going back to the crazy hecticness that is Atlanta. We love it there, but it can be a little overwhelming 😅
A day or two before we were about to fly back, we received news that our current dorm building was found to be not up to fire code and thus all people living there were required to evacuate the building. The leadership at ASOM did find a new location to live at until Christmas break, but it would be even further from the city (about an hour away given there is minimal traffic). John's job requires him to meet his boss at least downtown or occasionally meet at the location of the job.
With the change of dorms, John's condition, and the way transportation is into the city, it would add a lot more stress. He felt more peace staying in Delaware and working for his brother Luke's cleaning business. We both prayed over what we should do as a couple. We are both serious about one another and have been for about a year now (although we have only been officially in a relationship for 6 months). We both love each other very much and want to see the other achieve our greatest potential.
As we prayed and thought more about what we should do together, we decided that it would be best to stay in Delaware and not return to Atlanta.
Many have wondered and asked, "But didn't you say that God wanted you to be in Atlanta?" The answer is yes, He did. I heard very clearly and correctly that Atlanta and being a student at ASOM was where he wanted me to be. I got to have a whole year there! It was a dream come true! But because of the dorm situation and John's current condition, it just made more sense to stay in Delaware where we both have jobs, a good place to stay, and have many ministry opportunities.
I am sad to leave ASOM. I made many connections there and friendships with students, staff, and people in the community. A piece of my heart will always reside in Atlanta. My decision to leave ASOM and pursue other options is a choice all of my own. I greatly appreciate all who have given financially towards my ministry in Atlanta. Your giving was not in vain. For those of you have been in prayer for me and for John and our relationship, I thank you! We have been blessed greatly.
I do want to publicly apologize to anyone who might be heartbroken over this news. I would love to go into greater detail with you personally should you have more questions or just want a greater understanding of why I decided to part from ASOM.
I know God has great plans no matter where I go. I am His daughter and I rest completely in knowing that He is fully pleased with me. He champions my decisions. He is proud of me.
I have never been the kind of girl to choose her career or schooling over a relationship. And this isn't just any relationship! John and I aren't operating under "normal" circumstances. Our previous dorm building was found to not be up to code. That was at the beginning of summer but this time, at our new building, it was during the school year. It is taking at least three weeks to figure something else out and during this time, from what I understand, the students aren't really getting to do the ministry work they are paying for and asking others to support them in. I could be wrong on this, but that is what I last heard.
A couple days ago, John and I rented a car to drive back to Atlanta to retrieve our stuff. While we were there, I was overwhelmed by a feeling that I wasn't supposed to be there. And we had permission from leadership to go to our dorm building to get our stuff! I definitely feel that God has released me from doing long-term ministry there.
We have planned to visit there and perhaps while we are visiting we will also minister. I feel more peace being in Delaware with John and working towards our future together.
In this time of transition, I appreciate those of you who are understanding of this change. It hasn't been an easy decision to make but when I got into this committed relationship, my life wasn't all about me anymore. I had to and still have to think about what is best for John, me, and our relationship.
As I said earlier, if you are still having trouble understanding why we chose to do what we did given the circumstances, I would be happy to talk with you about it.
Again, I thank each and every one of you who have poured into my ministry in Atlanta. Financial support at this point can cease. But don't cease praying for us.
I love you all very much. Thank you for your support.💗
~Samantha Scott (Also, you haven't heard the last from me 😉)
A day or two before we were about to fly back, we received news that our current dorm building was found to be not up to fire code and thus all people living there were required to evacuate the building. The leadership at ASOM did find a new location to live at until Christmas break, but it would be even further from the city (about an hour away given there is minimal traffic). John's job requires him to meet his boss at least downtown or occasionally meet at the location of the job.
With the change of dorms, John's condition, and the way transportation is into the city, it would add a lot more stress. He felt more peace staying in Delaware and working for his brother Luke's cleaning business. We both prayed over what we should do as a couple. We are both serious about one another and have been for about a year now (although we have only been officially in a relationship for 6 months). We both love each other very much and want to see the other achieve our greatest potential.
As we prayed and thought more about what we should do together, we decided that it would be best to stay in Delaware and not return to Atlanta.
Many have wondered and asked, "But didn't you say that God wanted you to be in Atlanta?" The answer is yes, He did. I heard very clearly and correctly that Atlanta and being a student at ASOM was where he wanted me to be. I got to have a whole year there! It was a dream come true! But because of the dorm situation and John's current condition, it just made more sense to stay in Delaware where we both have jobs, a good place to stay, and have many ministry opportunities.
I am sad to leave ASOM. I made many connections there and friendships with students, staff, and people in the community. A piece of my heart will always reside in Atlanta. My decision to leave ASOM and pursue other options is a choice all of my own. I greatly appreciate all who have given financially towards my ministry in Atlanta. Your giving was not in vain. For those of you have been in prayer for me and for John and our relationship, I thank you! We have been blessed greatly.
I do want to publicly apologize to anyone who might be heartbroken over this news. I would love to go into greater detail with you personally should you have more questions or just want a greater understanding of why I decided to part from ASOM.
I know God has great plans no matter where I go. I am His daughter and I rest completely in knowing that He is fully pleased with me. He champions my decisions. He is proud of me.
I have never been the kind of girl to choose her career or schooling over a relationship. And this isn't just any relationship! John and I aren't operating under "normal" circumstances. Our previous dorm building was found to not be up to code. That was at the beginning of summer but this time, at our new building, it was during the school year. It is taking at least three weeks to figure something else out and during this time, from what I understand, the students aren't really getting to do the ministry work they are paying for and asking others to support them in. I could be wrong on this, but that is what I last heard.
A couple days ago, John and I rented a car to drive back to Atlanta to retrieve our stuff. While we were there, I was overwhelmed by a feeling that I wasn't supposed to be there. And we had permission from leadership to go to our dorm building to get our stuff! I definitely feel that God has released me from doing long-term ministry there.
We have planned to visit there and perhaps while we are visiting we will also minister. I feel more peace being in Delaware with John and working towards our future together.
In this time of transition, I appreciate those of you who are understanding of this change. It hasn't been an easy decision to make but when I got into this committed relationship, my life wasn't all about me anymore. I had to and still have to think about what is best for John, me, and our relationship.
As I said earlier, if you are still having trouble understanding why we chose to do what we did given the circumstances, I would be happy to talk with you about it.
Again, I thank each and every one of you who have poured into my ministry in Atlanta. Financial support at this point can cease. But don't cease praying for us.
I love you all very much. Thank you for your support.💗
~Samantha Scott (Also, you haven't heard the last from me 😉)
Saturday, November 11, 2017
Entry#11: When Skateboards Fly
Hello one, hello all. If you are a friend of mine on Facebook and you have been tracking my boyfriend (John) of 5 months medical progress, this post is mostly to engage an even larger audience mixed with believers and unbelievers who might be interested in giving financially or positive thoughts/prayer during his time of recovery. All of my thanks go out to every single person who has prayed, sent positive thoughts, given financially, or sacrificed their valuable time and energy for John and I. We are a very blessed couple.
Just to start this detailed report of all that has gone down since the initial incident, I'm going to start at the beginning.
On Wednesday night, November 8, 2017, I was exchanging texts with John around 8:30pm. I was unsure of when he would be home from working with a friend of his that evening; I had finished helping with our monthly dorm deep clean and was hungry for Waffle House. We agreed that whether he was going to be home sooner or later, I was good to go to Waffle House with/without him. I try to keep to a tight schedule in order to do better than I did last year at ASOM. He understood that I was trying to get back to my normal school schedule; if he could get back in time to say goodnight, he would, but he really cared about me getting rest.
After cleaning, a friend of mine and I decided to walk over to Waffle House. We then received an urgent message regarding a fellow Second Year. We had to be back by 9pm. We rushed back over, attended the meeting, and heard some news that didn't feel real until it was told by the Director of our school (please be in prayer). Afterwards, I finished eating my food and went up to my dorm room. Feeling very distraught over the news, I contemplated laying in bed and crying my eyes out, or sitting and talking with some First Years about life. I chose the latter. I left my phone on my bed to charge, and headed across the room to talk with them. After a bit of conversation, they asked me to tell the story of John and I. It's my favorite story to tell; how could I refuse?
When I return to my bed, I notice that I missed a couple calls and texts from John. He wanted to let me know that he got home earlier than he thought and since I wasn't answering, he assumed I was asleep. He proceeded to ride his skateboard to the local mexican grocery store. I quickly texted him back that I was still awake and wanted to see him. When he got to the store he saw that it was closed. At this point, he called me and informed me it was closed and that he was coming back. He asked me to meet him outside in 5 minutes. I told him that he should just text me when he got there. He expressed to me that he would really like me to be out there waiting when he arrived.
I took a couple minutes to freshen up and prepare myself to meet him. When I stepped outside, I was greeted by another student who looked fine on the outside but when she began to tell me of John at first I thought, "Yeah, I know, he's probably waiting for me; it's no big deal." But when she said that John was on the pavement with a head injury, the smile on my face quickly faded. She told me where he was and I immediately rushed from her to where John was.
At first, John didn't recognize me. He recognized me as my friend Jordyn and was instantly annoyed that she was there. He proceeded to get up, act like everything was fine, except for the small part where blood was pooling out of John's right ear. And he was as steady as a drunk man.
An ambulance was called, and John was confused as to why it was called for him. He was reluctant to get onto the stretcher. Eventually he did get on it and was placed inside the ambulance. This began the worst part of the whole situation. John has told me before of his past with anxiety and once the neck brace was put on him, he flew into a huge anxiety attack. It hurt my heart to be sitting up in the passenger seat, feeling like I should be in the cab with the other nurse/doctor/whatever their proper title is. I did mention to the woman back there that he does have anxiety, but I don't think she really listened to me.
Upon arriving at the hospital, he was very insistent on getting water. However, with his fresh head injury, it was not a good idea for him to drink anything until they could get a scan of his head. They even tried giving him a little bit of water and he almost immediately threw it up. He really didn't calm down until he was brought up to ICU. They had him on haldol which is a common antipsychotic drug (not that John is or ever has been or ever will be psychotic 😅) due to how he was constantly trying to get out of the hospital bed/removing IV's, etc. He was on it for only a day.
The next day, he woke up for a second, waved at me and slightly smiled. I came to him and he touched his forehead as if to indicate he wanted to be touched there. I did so and then he asked me to kiss his forehead in which I gladly did 😊.
Each time he would wake up, he would complain of headache which was due to his head injury. The doctors informed me that on the left side of his head has a contusion which is a bruising of the skull and on the right side he has a slight fracture on the outermost layer of his skull. They told me that if someone were to fracture their skull, that would be the best place to do so. John also had a little bit of blood on his brain due to the injury. It is also the main reason for his headaches and him getting more easily agitated than normal.
The next night, since John's recent scans had stabilized, he was moved from ICU to CCU. There he would still be monitored but less often. In CCU we had some more interactions. He was able to conversate with me, repeating himself only twice after I got to mostly explain what happened. He was able to pull me close to him for a hug. He whispered to me, "I need to be strong enough to get out of here."
The day after that he was more insistent in asking to leave. Around 10am, the physical therapy doctors came by to check him out. He went for a short walk around the hospital, displayed fine thinking and simple math skills. Afterwards, I'm guessing he was tired because he laid down to sleep a little longer.
When he woke up, he asked again to be checked out and allowed to leave. The doctor during this shift told him she was going to get the neurologist to check him out and in the meantime she would bring by a paper that he needed to sign in order to be released. When she came back, he was asleep and wouldn't wake up again.
We (the doctors and I) hoped he would stay at the hospital at least until his mom got there. But at 1am today, November 11, 2017, he was adamant about leaving the hospital. Right that very moment. I bursted into tears. The nurse thought that I would be unwilling to take John home but I assured her that wasn't the case. I would take John home; of course. How could I just leave him to wander the streets carelessly? I couldn't. I wouldn't. Never, ever, ever. Everyone besides John thought he should at least stay until 6am. He wouldn't hear it. He signed the paper. We packed up our stuff, tried to reason with him one more time, he stayed true to his plan.
Even before he entered the dorm building, his best friend of 10 years tried to talk sense into him. He still insisted on sleeping in his own bed. So we let him in, he went to bed for an hour. Then he woke up and took a shower all on his own.
In bringing him back to the dorms, I really had to place him and my trust in God's hands. John has always been protected well by God, and when I heard from an eye-witness what happened, the way God responded when the enemy attacked John was truly beautiful.
The student that rushed to tell me of John's accident was sitting outside with her boyfriend not even 40 seconds before John went down. All she saw was a skateboard fly. She didn't see a person fall until her and her boyfriend rushed out to find the skateboard. She recognized John right away. When she was coming back inside the dorms to grab another male was the very moment that I stepped outside to meet my love.
From those details down to no severe brain damage or skull damage, no surgery needed, it is evident how much God was smiling down on John during this attack.
Today, I am thankful for God not missing a second of what happened. I am thankful for His healing power working evidently in John's body. I am grateful for strong, sober-minded friends who held me steady when I felt I could hardly contain my desire to be hysterical. I am thankful for a new sense of closeness with John's family. Ideally, I wanted to meet them under better circumstances but what better way to let my real character shine than in this desperation?
I don't know what John's medical bill will look like. I can only imagine its horrificness. I am asking first that you pray. If you feel led to donate towards his bill (and I can greatly assure you every dollar given will go towards paying off his bill--it's top priority) you can send it through my PayPal email:
angelistic124@yahoo.com
Should you have further questions, feel free to comment. Be blessed and be at peace. Our God is with us.
💙Samantha Scott
Just to start this detailed report of all that has gone down since the initial incident, I'm going to start at the beginning.
On Wednesday night, November 8, 2017, I was exchanging texts with John around 8:30pm. I was unsure of when he would be home from working with a friend of his that evening; I had finished helping with our monthly dorm deep clean and was hungry for Waffle House. We agreed that whether he was going to be home sooner or later, I was good to go to Waffle House with/without him. I try to keep to a tight schedule in order to do better than I did last year at ASOM. He understood that I was trying to get back to my normal school schedule; if he could get back in time to say goodnight, he would, but he really cared about me getting rest.
After cleaning, a friend of mine and I decided to walk over to Waffle House. We then received an urgent message regarding a fellow Second Year. We had to be back by 9pm. We rushed back over, attended the meeting, and heard some news that didn't feel real until it was told by the Director of our school (please be in prayer). Afterwards, I finished eating my food and went up to my dorm room. Feeling very distraught over the news, I contemplated laying in bed and crying my eyes out, or sitting and talking with some First Years about life. I chose the latter. I left my phone on my bed to charge, and headed across the room to talk with them. After a bit of conversation, they asked me to tell the story of John and I. It's my favorite story to tell; how could I refuse?
When I return to my bed, I notice that I missed a couple calls and texts from John. He wanted to let me know that he got home earlier than he thought and since I wasn't answering, he assumed I was asleep. He proceeded to ride his skateboard to the local mexican grocery store. I quickly texted him back that I was still awake and wanted to see him. When he got to the store he saw that it was closed. At this point, he called me and informed me it was closed and that he was coming back. He asked me to meet him outside in 5 minutes. I told him that he should just text me when he got there. He expressed to me that he would really like me to be out there waiting when he arrived.
I took a couple minutes to freshen up and prepare myself to meet him. When I stepped outside, I was greeted by another student who looked fine on the outside but when she began to tell me of John at first I thought, "Yeah, I know, he's probably waiting for me; it's no big deal." But when she said that John was on the pavement with a head injury, the smile on my face quickly faded. She told me where he was and I immediately rushed from her to where John was.
At first, John didn't recognize me. He recognized me as my friend Jordyn and was instantly annoyed that she was there. He proceeded to get up, act like everything was fine, except for the small part where blood was pooling out of John's right ear. And he was as steady as a drunk man.
An ambulance was called, and John was confused as to why it was called for him. He was reluctant to get onto the stretcher. Eventually he did get on it and was placed inside the ambulance. This began the worst part of the whole situation. John has told me before of his past with anxiety and once the neck brace was put on him, he flew into a huge anxiety attack. It hurt my heart to be sitting up in the passenger seat, feeling like I should be in the cab with the other nurse/doctor/whatever their proper title is. I did mention to the woman back there that he does have anxiety, but I don't think she really listened to me.
Upon arriving at the hospital, he was very insistent on getting water. However, with his fresh head injury, it was not a good idea for him to drink anything until they could get a scan of his head. They even tried giving him a little bit of water and he almost immediately threw it up. He really didn't calm down until he was brought up to ICU. They had him on haldol which is a common antipsychotic drug (not that John is or ever has been or ever will be psychotic 😅) due to how he was constantly trying to get out of the hospital bed/removing IV's, etc. He was on it for only a day.
The next day, he woke up for a second, waved at me and slightly smiled. I came to him and he touched his forehead as if to indicate he wanted to be touched there. I did so and then he asked me to kiss his forehead in which I gladly did 😊.
Each time he would wake up, he would complain of headache which was due to his head injury. The doctors informed me that on the left side of his head has a contusion which is a bruising of the skull and on the right side he has a slight fracture on the outermost layer of his skull. They told me that if someone were to fracture their skull, that would be the best place to do so. John also had a little bit of blood on his brain due to the injury. It is also the main reason for his headaches and him getting more easily agitated than normal.
The next night, since John's recent scans had stabilized, he was moved from ICU to CCU. There he would still be monitored but less often. In CCU we had some more interactions. He was able to conversate with me, repeating himself only twice after I got to mostly explain what happened. He was able to pull me close to him for a hug. He whispered to me, "I need to be strong enough to get out of here."
The day after that he was more insistent in asking to leave. Around 10am, the physical therapy doctors came by to check him out. He went for a short walk around the hospital, displayed fine thinking and simple math skills. Afterwards, I'm guessing he was tired because he laid down to sleep a little longer.
When he woke up, he asked again to be checked out and allowed to leave. The doctor during this shift told him she was going to get the neurologist to check him out and in the meantime she would bring by a paper that he needed to sign in order to be released. When she came back, he was asleep and wouldn't wake up again.
We (the doctors and I) hoped he would stay at the hospital at least until his mom got there. But at 1am today, November 11, 2017, he was adamant about leaving the hospital. Right that very moment. I bursted into tears. The nurse thought that I would be unwilling to take John home but I assured her that wasn't the case. I would take John home; of course. How could I just leave him to wander the streets carelessly? I couldn't. I wouldn't. Never, ever, ever. Everyone besides John thought he should at least stay until 6am. He wouldn't hear it. He signed the paper. We packed up our stuff, tried to reason with him one more time, he stayed true to his plan.
Even before he entered the dorm building, his best friend of 10 years tried to talk sense into him. He still insisted on sleeping in his own bed. So we let him in, he went to bed for an hour. Then he woke up and took a shower all on his own.
In bringing him back to the dorms, I really had to place him and my trust in God's hands. John has always been protected well by God, and when I heard from an eye-witness what happened, the way God responded when the enemy attacked John was truly beautiful.
The student that rushed to tell me of John's accident was sitting outside with her boyfriend not even 40 seconds before John went down. All she saw was a skateboard fly. She didn't see a person fall until her and her boyfriend rushed out to find the skateboard. She recognized John right away. When she was coming back inside the dorms to grab another male was the very moment that I stepped outside to meet my love.
From those details down to no severe brain damage or skull damage, no surgery needed, it is evident how much God was smiling down on John during this attack.
Today, I am thankful for God not missing a second of what happened. I am thankful for His healing power working evidently in John's body. I am grateful for strong, sober-minded friends who held me steady when I felt I could hardly contain my desire to be hysterical. I am thankful for a new sense of closeness with John's family. Ideally, I wanted to meet them under better circumstances but what better way to let my real character shine than in this desperation?
I don't know what John's medical bill will look like. I can only imagine its horrificness. I am asking first that you pray. If you feel led to donate towards his bill (and I can greatly assure you every dollar given will go towards paying off his bill--it's top priority) you can send it through my PayPal email:
angelistic124@yahoo.com
Should you have further questions, feel free to comment. Be blessed and be at peace. Our God is with us.
💙Samantha Scott
Saturday, November 4, 2017
Entry #10: End Of A Wave
I've been wanting to update this blog for weeks it seems. Although my last blog post was actually less than 30 days ago, I'm still ready as ever to share the exciting things that are taking place in my life as a missionary to Atlanta.
For those that didn't know, two weeks ago I bruised the tip of my femur. I was rushing out of a room and hit it on a stack of metal chairs that were just enough behind me that I didn't see them in time. I assure you it was a very hilarious event to take place in my life. Four days later I left for a week long fundraising opportunity all the way in Lexington, KY.
I was a little concerned about it as I didn't know the hours I would be working and a tiny bit unsure if my knee would hold up. Thanks to many prayers, by the third day I was out volunteering, I went my whole shift without my brace and it held up very well! It's doing even better now and only hurts sometimes but is only getting better. For those of you who prayed, thank you so much. Your faith really made a difference!
I am all about finding and implementing different ways to reach people. One of the ways I have been thinking on the most lately is shadow work. Shadow work is where I'm not directly speaking to someone about God, but allowing the Holy Spirit to move through me. People that are in the same area as me feel a positive change in the atmosphere and are filled with wonder as to what that feeling could be. As I have been actively and intentionally releasing the Spirit through my presence in a room or outside at a park or even just driving by, I have noticed a change. People are looking. People are wondering, "what could that be?" And the truth is that it's all God making himself known through me. So far to anyone who notices, I pray that Christ would be ever more revealed to them. I am also growing in how I should approach someone who does notice this change in the atmosphere and I ask that you be in prayer for me as I go about this!
Let me just say... it is SO good to be back in class, growing and learning with my fellow classmates. I have greatly missed getting the opportunity to help usher in God's presence through worship. It really is an honor to get to travel all over, meet so many different people, and be on mission, but there's nothing quite like being back home (of course I can be "on mission" while at home too, but that's not what I'm meaning here).
In other news, a few weeks ago I learned that this year for Spring Missions (Fourth Wave Missions) I am joining Greater Conversation again! Last year was so impactful. From the practices before we left to performing different arts to various audiences; from times of personal growth to times of growth as a group, it all has changed my life and lives around me. Just thinking about how great last year was has made me all the more excited and ready-to-go for this years Spring Missions!
As far as I know, it will be the same amount that I needed to raise last year ($400). I will definitely keep this blog updated as far as that is concerned. I have not a single worry about God providing. He has more than proved that if somewhere is where he wants me to be, finances are not an issue. But please be praying for me as I prepare myself for this 7 week journey in March with a new group of students. Pray for the encounters we will have as we are out on the field. If you would like to donate financially to my Spring Missions, information on how to go about that will be provided below. I strongly wish to emphasize that even if all you are able to give is $5, not only will I be extremely blessed by that, but so will you and everyone I get to speak to/be around.
I am in great anticipation for what the Lord is going to do the rest of this year and into next year!
Side note: I am super excited to go to Delaware in two weeks with John (my boyfriend of 5 months 😊)! I'm really looking forward to meeting more of his family and getting to know them.
If you would like to donate towards my Spring Missions fund, here is one way to do that:
1) Go to atlsom.com
2) Hover over "Missionaries"
3) Drop down to "Support"
4) Select "Support Current Missionary"
5) Select either Create an Account, or Give Without an Account
6) Select where you want to give, how much, and leave a note saying either "Samantha Scott Spring Missions" or "Samantha Scott Missionary Fund"
Another option is to get in contact with my mom, Bonnie Scott. She keeps track of my missionary finances very well. She can be reached by phone at: (616) 846-4478 or by email: office@thegatewaygh.com
A third option for giving is through PayPal.
My PayPal email is: angelistic124@yahoo.com
Above giving financially, I want to thank those who have been faithfully praying for me as I am here in Atlanta. It is and has been making a big difference! No wonder so many doors are being opened and so many opportunities to share Jesus and encourage the body of Christ are in abundance! Without your prayers, I'm sure the move of God would happen (after all, if we don't praise, the rocks will cry out, right?) but it is much more edifying and faith-building to partner together through prayer.
And to those who have given financially, I want to recognize and honor your sacrifice. Without you, I wouldn't be in Atlanta at all. I would have never gotten to do all the amazing things I get to do here. Thank you, thank you, thank you.
I hope you're having a great day, and if not, I will be praying that tomorrow is better!
Thank you for reading.
💗Samantha Scott
For those that didn't know, two weeks ago I bruised the tip of my femur. I was rushing out of a room and hit it on a stack of metal chairs that were just enough behind me that I didn't see them in time. I assure you it was a very hilarious event to take place in my life. Four days later I left for a week long fundraising opportunity all the way in Lexington, KY.
I was a little concerned about it as I didn't know the hours I would be working and a tiny bit unsure if my knee would hold up. Thanks to many prayers, by the third day I was out volunteering, I went my whole shift without my brace and it held up very well! It's doing even better now and only hurts sometimes but is only getting better. For those of you who prayed, thank you so much. Your faith really made a difference!
I am all about finding and implementing different ways to reach people. One of the ways I have been thinking on the most lately is shadow work. Shadow work is where I'm not directly speaking to someone about God, but allowing the Holy Spirit to move through me. People that are in the same area as me feel a positive change in the atmosphere and are filled with wonder as to what that feeling could be. As I have been actively and intentionally releasing the Spirit through my presence in a room or outside at a park or even just driving by, I have noticed a change. People are looking. People are wondering, "what could that be?" And the truth is that it's all God making himself known through me. So far to anyone who notices, I pray that Christ would be ever more revealed to them. I am also growing in how I should approach someone who does notice this change in the atmosphere and I ask that you be in prayer for me as I go about this!
Let me just say... it is SO good to be back in class, growing and learning with my fellow classmates. I have greatly missed getting the opportunity to help usher in God's presence through worship. It really is an honor to get to travel all over, meet so many different people, and be on mission, but there's nothing quite like being back home (of course I can be "on mission" while at home too, but that's not what I'm meaning here).
In other news, a few weeks ago I learned that this year for Spring Missions (Fourth Wave Missions) I am joining Greater Conversation again! Last year was so impactful. From the practices before we left to performing different arts to various audiences; from times of personal growth to times of growth as a group, it all has changed my life and lives around me. Just thinking about how great last year was has made me all the more excited and ready-to-go for this years Spring Missions!
As far as I know, it will be the same amount that I needed to raise last year ($400). I will definitely keep this blog updated as far as that is concerned. I have not a single worry about God providing. He has more than proved that if somewhere is where he wants me to be, finances are not an issue. But please be praying for me as I prepare myself for this 7 week journey in March with a new group of students. Pray for the encounters we will have as we are out on the field. If you would like to donate financially to my Spring Missions, information on how to go about that will be provided below. I strongly wish to emphasize that even if all you are able to give is $5, not only will I be extremely blessed by that, but so will you and everyone I get to speak to/be around.
I am in great anticipation for what the Lord is going to do the rest of this year and into next year!
Side note: I am super excited to go to Delaware in two weeks with John (my boyfriend of 5 months 😊)! I'm really looking forward to meeting more of his family and getting to know them.
If you would like to donate towards my Spring Missions fund, here is one way to do that:
1) Go to atlsom.com
2) Hover over "Missionaries"
3) Drop down to "Support"
4) Select "Support Current Missionary"
5) Select either Create an Account, or Give Without an Account
6) Select where you want to give, how much, and leave a note saying either "Samantha Scott Spring Missions" or "Samantha Scott Missionary Fund"
Another option is to get in contact with my mom, Bonnie Scott. She keeps track of my missionary finances very well. She can be reached by phone at: (616) 846-4478 or by email: office@thegatewaygh.com
A third option for giving is through PayPal.
My PayPal email is: angelistic124@yahoo.com
Above giving financially, I want to thank those who have been faithfully praying for me as I am here in Atlanta. It is and has been making a big difference! No wonder so many doors are being opened and so many opportunities to share Jesus and encourage the body of Christ are in abundance! Without your prayers, I'm sure the move of God would happen (after all, if we don't praise, the rocks will cry out, right?) but it is much more edifying and faith-building to partner together through prayer.
And to those who have given financially, I want to recognize and honor your sacrifice. Without you, I wouldn't be in Atlanta at all. I would have never gotten to do all the amazing things I get to do here. Thank you, thank you, thank you.
I hope you're having a great day, and if not, I will be praying that tomorrow is better!
Thank you for reading.
💗Samantha Scott
Monday, October 16, 2017
Entry #9: First Travel Trip Of My Second Year
Hey everyone! I started my second year of ASOM about a month ago and this past weekend went on a Travel Trip to Macon ("Macon Bacon" as I lovingly call it), Georgia for the Made For More Conference/Girls Retreat. And let me tell you, that trip GREATLY impacted me. If you're a new reader on this blog page, I recommend that you go back, read my older posts from this year, catch up, and track with me as I share my journey!
On the drive home I had so many thoughts. I wrote them all down to share with you.❤
If you would like to partner with me financially, as I am a missionary here in Atlanta, I would greatly appreciate that! You can contact my parents for donations towards my tuition from the information provided below:
Bonnie Scott: (616)-846-4478
To donate towards my personal living expenses (food on Mondays, toiletries, etc) you can send it through my paypal:
angelistic124@yahoo.com
OR!
If you would like to send a care package you can address it to:
Samantha Scott
652 Angier Ave
Atlanta, GA 30308
Thank you again for your time and your prayers. I couldn’t do what I do without them.-Samantha Scott-
On the drive home I had so many thoughts. I wrote them all down to share with you.❤
Wow. What an impactful weekend! Not only for myself, but I got the most wonderful opportunity to spend Friday evening to Saturday afternoon pouring into the lives of girls from ages 12-18 through worship and dance. I feel refreshed, but at the same time exhausted!
Friday night I had an opportunity to pray for a young girl named Hannah. A week or two ago, she found out that she was becoming allergic to the cold. Whenever her arm, or feet, or legs touched something cold, her skin would first turn red then get itchy and after that she would get welts. For example, that night from her jumping up and down on the cold cement in the gym her feet got swollen and began hurting really bad. She went to the doctor the day before for blood work and was told that what she is experiencing ranges from arthritis (and within some years she would lose complete use of her hands) all the way to cancer.Her distraught at these thoughts was very evident and completely understandable. But here’s the thing about facing a giant such as this; although you can acknowledge how big it is, you have to know that who you have on your team is so much bigger, greater, and stronger. Because of this moment, I will continue to keep her in prayer. I would love for you to join me in praying for her (and I will try to update as I am updated).I also met another really cool woman of God as we were waiting in line to get pictures with Bonray (the band that night). Her name is Zandy (I know, super cool name) and she told me how her plan right after high school is to go to basic training and become a Marine. As soon as she said that, I was blown away! We talked more that evening but Saturday morning as I was observing and meeting other girls I kept thinking about how not everyone has the same reaction I did when they hear a beautiful young girl is joining the Marines. As everything was coming to a close that afternoon, I felt impressed to pray for her. So naturally I did. And will certainly add her to my list of girls to cover in prayer.Lastly, I just want to take a moment to appreciate how down-to-earth my interaction with Morgan, drummer and singer for the band Bonray, was. When she talked to me and asked questions about me, it was like I had always been a friend of hers. I could hardly believe it and was so honored to have had that moment. Also, I've planted seeds of influence to see if Bonray would be able to perform at Unity next year (or hopefully within the next two years 😉). It would just be super awesome to see them there and I know it would be a GREAT opportunity for them. Seriously, their music is so cool you should check out their EP on Spotify (this was not a paid sponsorship but rather me advertising my love for them).Anyway this was a great weekend and I want to thank every one of you for taking the time to read this post. What I personally need right now is a lot of prayer. There hasn’t been anything major in my life (personally speaking) yet but the continuation of prayer that God’s will would continue to be done in my life and in the lives I get to impact is ALWAYS needed. If you would like to partner with me financially, as I am a missionary here in Atlanta, I would greatly appreciate that! You can contact my parents for donations towards my tuition from the information provided below:
Bonnie Scott: (616)-846-4478
To donate towards my personal living expenses (food on Mondays, toiletries, etc) you can send it through my paypal:
angelistic124@yahoo.com
OR!
If you would like to send a care package you can address it to:
Samantha Scott
652 Angier Ave
Atlanta, GA 30308
Thank you again for your time and your prayers. I couldn’t do what I do without them.-Samantha Scott-
Saturday, August 26, 2017
Entry #8: A Pocket of Light
After two plane rides, I arrived safely in Atlanta exactly one week ago. Switching flights isn't for everyone. Especially when you have to walk from one end of an airport to another. But I love the airport in Charlotte, NC so the walk was worth it, although thoroughly exhausting. I'm thrilled to be back in my home away from home. There are new things to experience this year. For instance, we have new temporary dorm housing. I'm definitely more of a fan of where we live now than in our old dorm building. It was closer to the school of ministry I attend here, but it's definitely better to do without the bug problems we all experienced at the old building.
I do hope that these new dorms become our permanent housing, but only time will tell.
As I am back in Atlanta, I remembered a particular outreach ministry that my school goes on every Thursday called Compassion Night. This outreach provides one meal for any and all homeless people who are in line to receive it. While they wait to receive their food, small groups of people start up conversation with those in line. Normally during the school year I am unable to go on this particular outreach because I'm involved with the travel team which meets Tuesday's and Thursday's while Compassion Night is also going on. However, since school technically hasn't started for me yet due to a large fundraising event in New York, I had this intense desire to go this past Thursday night.
It. Was. Awesome. I got to hear a few stories, but one in particular really stood out to me. I unfortunately don't remember his name at this time, but he talked with my boyfriend, John, and I about his ministry. He believes in God and that He has called him to sell/give everything he had away and live among the homeless. And that is what he did for, if I remember correctly, 10 years now. It was amazing to hear this story and as he was talking, I was reminded of a particular video I was shown in youth group years ago.
The video started out with a man sitting at a diner looking kind of down. One at a time, individuals came by; the first one stood and asked how he was doing, but when they realized that the guy sitting on the bench didn't match up with their happy-go-lucky attitude, they quickly moved on; another one came, sat across and made light conversation but soon got up and moved on like the one before. This happened with a few more individuals. But there was something different about the last one. They started out across from him, but after more conversation, instead of them getting up and leaving, they got up and sat next to the man looking down. It's this last person in the video that reminded me of the homeless man that was speaking to us.
I thought that I gave up everything for God by leaving my home, my family, everything I knew in Michigan to attend a ministry school in Atlanta. This man LITERALLY gave up everything to reach the lost. That lifestyle and calling is definitely not for everyone. But it is such an inspiration to see that even in the darkest of places, there are pockets of light. It also inspired me the way he talked about his relationship with God. If you had heard him speak, I'm sure you would agree that he spoke from a real deep knowing of God and who He is. Darkness is being invaded by the light and it is so beautiful. Such an inspiration of hope.
I can hardly wait until next Thursday to go on Compassion Night again!
Thank you for reading this blog post. I really couldn't not share about who I met on Compassion Night! If you would like to watch the video I mentioned in this blog post, the Lord helped me find where it was! Here is the link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xWdQRf0qbZI I hope it inspires you as much as it has inspired me.
~Samantha
I do hope that these new dorms become our permanent housing, but only time will tell.
As I am back in Atlanta, I remembered a particular outreach ministry that my school goes on every Thursday called Compassion Night. This outreach provides one meal for any and all homeless people who are in line to receive it. While they wait to receive their food, small groups of people start up conversation with those in line. Normally during the school year I am unable to go on this particular outreach because I'm involved with the travel team which meets Tuesday's and Thursday's while Compassion Night is also going on. However, since school technically hasn't started for me yet due to a large fundraising event in New York, I had this intense desire to go this past Thursday night.
It. Was. Awesome. I got to hear a few stories, but one in particular really stood out to me. I unfortunately don't remember his name at this time, but he talked with my boyfriend, John, and I about his ministry. He believes in God and that He has called him to sell/give everything he had away and live among the homeless. And that is what he did for, if I remember correctly, 10 years now. It was amazing to hear this story and as he was talking, I was reminded of a particular video I was shown in youth group years ago.
The video started out with a man sitting at a diner looking kind of down. One at a time, individuals came by; the first one stood and asked how he was doing, but when they realized that the guy sitting on the bench didn't match up with their happy-go-lucky attitude, they quickly moved on; another one came, sat across and made light conversation but soon got up and moved on like the one before. This happened with a few more individuals. But there was something different about the last one. They started out across from him, but after more conversation, instead of them getting up and leaving, they got up and sat next to the man looking down. It's this last person in the video that reminded me of the homeless man that was speaking to us.
I thought that I gave up everything for God by leaving my home, my family, everything I knew in Michigan to attend a ministry school in Atlanta. This man LITERALLY gave up everything to reach the lost. That lifestyle and calling is definitely not for everyone. But it is such an inspiration to see that even in the darkest of places, there are pockets of light. It also inspired me the way he talked about his relationship with God. If you had heard him speak, I'm sure you would agree that he spoke from a real deep knowing of God and who He is. Darkness is being invaded by the light and it is so beautiful. Such an inspiration of hope.
I can hardly wait until next Thursday to go on Compassion Night again!
Thank you for reading this blog post. I really couldn't not share about who I met on Compassion Night! If you would like to watch the video I mentioned in this blog post, the Lord helped me find where it was! Here is the link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xWdQRf0qbZI I hope it inspires you as much as it has inspired me.
~Samantha
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