Deaf-Blind Ministry

Ever since I started taking ASL classes at Sierra College I have wanted to go with a couple of missionaries to Southern California to help Deaf-blind people.

Friday, my Creative Sign professor, Dr. Bill Vicars, taught us all how to communicate with Deaf-blind people and he taught us by an awesome evercise.

He wanted us to break up into pairs, one person closing their eyes and the other "fingerspelling" into the other's hand. (Fingerspelling is signing each letter of the alphabet)

Honestly, it was a LOT harder than I thought.

Some letters were easier, like "L", "Z", "A" and "S"

The harder letters were "T", "N' and "M"

The hardest letter was "C" because of it's odd shape in the hand.

But, it occured to me how awesome it would be to go to SoCal and help the Deaf-blind before I move to Idaho.

Pray that my friends and I get the opportunity to go. (The last opportunity fell through)

God Bless you!
Cody Marie

Baptism Mentor

Since my calling to go to Emmaus Community Church in my hometown, I have been involved, something I wasn't really doing at my other church because of a split.

First, I was setting up for the church services as much as I could, then I became involved in the children's ministry, when a new children's pastor was hired. And ever since then, I've been helping the young people of the church to grow in God and in community.

And then I met a family: Lori, Pete, Stone and Hunter. An awesome Christ-centered family. Lori also helped in the children's ministry, so I often aided her as she taught. And I was able to get to know her and her boys and just have fun and hang out and share life.

When Stone, her oldest, wanted to get baptised, I was very excited to see that. (I was baptised at the same age). And I was floored when Stone asked me to be his mentor this last Spring!! It was awesome! I helped him prepare spiritually, mentally, and every other way. I attended baptism classes with him and I helped him read the Bible and what God expected of people who got baptised and what it meant to be baptised. This was a very unique role for me....as I did not have a mentor of my own when I was baptised and I didn't fully understand what was happening in an indepth description. Going through that class, almost 14 years later helped connect everything together in a way that I hadn't quite connected.


Being his mentor has blessed my life in more ways than I thought. Investing my time in a young person, to help prepare them for a life of Christian living has been something I didn't think was possible for me....yes, I am called to be a missionary, but to do this here, before I move to Idaho, it's great that I can make a difference here, while I am working--while I am going to school, while I am preparing for a bigger picture that I cannot see.

Right now, Stone is that big picture. He's just such a gentleman and yet, still a kid, so sweet and child-like and just such a joy to bring around.

And I am SO BLESSED that God has chosen me to be Stone's mentor, and that Stone and Lori listened to God!!

Father, I THANK YOU for all the joy you have given me and for some reason, during my month of depression, I forgot. I had forgotten the simple, joyous things in life and Father, I ask that you please help me to keep these blessed things in my mind when the devil is trying to take everything away from me. I ask that you please keep reminding me that you are there and please show me all the little things in life that are so precious and so wonderful and I just want to say Father, I love you. And thank you for blessing my life in all the ways that You have and will do. In Jesus' name. Amen.

God Bless you guys for praying and encouraging!

Cody Marie Bolton

"Un-be-freakin'-lievable!!"

My perspective has been so positive lately that I cannot believe it for a second. Sure, I'm living it and I am really excited that I am in a happy time in my life after the month of depression, but I am just SO happy, it's unreal....rather unbelievable....hense the title. :P


Anyway, I had the most amazing day in a long time. I mean a LONG time. Right now I cannot even remember when I was this happy---so it was probably when I was a little girl.

Today was my traffic court date; I got lost and had a "Oh my gosh!" moment with my mom in the car (if it wasn't for her I would have never found the court!!) Anyway, so I wait in this really long line--btw, the only place where you get the feeling of being in an airport and a DMV at the same time is in a county courthouse...lol

Seriously, when I got to the window I had two options, pay the fine, sign up for traffic school and be on my way or try to petition the ticket and wait for HOURS to see a judge to plede my case. Honestly, I was speeding, so I paid it, signed up for traffic school and went on with my life...
What's so great about that? You might ask...I didn't have to stand in front of a judge like my dad told me I had to! I was SO nervous, it was a relief that all I had to do was pay and then leave! (And, yes I learned my lesson---NO SPEEDING!)

But that wasn't the best part of my day.

This was:

I recieved a notice on my Facebook page that a friend, who I will keep anonimous because I didn't get his permission to blog about him. I had been going to school with him for a long time, and although I never saw him much on campus, I would try and talk with him, he was very much misunderstood, and someone who repelled Christianity.

Today I found out and had an hour long or so conversation with him about Christianity. After high school I had lost contact with him, and during that time he became a Christian, he turned away from drugs and his anger problem was gone because of Jesus!! And now, even after only being a Christian 2 1/2 years, hes going to school to become a Pastor!!! I was smiling so much with my conversations with him; IT WAS "UN-BE-FREAKIN'-LIEVABLE!!!!"

I've got to admit, it was a bit weird talking Christianity with him, but that just made my day. Absolutely made my day--made my week, most likely made my month, that's how excited I am to hear about him and what's been goin' on with him. He even emailed me his full testimony! So amazing, his story is. Absolutely crazy! And at only 2 1/2 years of being a Christian embrasing persecution for believing in Christ!! (I've been a Christian for my entire life, relapsing once, and I am NOW JUST starting to embrace persecution for Jesus' sake.)

Anyway, I just wanted to share my AWESOME day today and I am wishing that all of you are havin' a great day in Christ Jesus!

God Bless you all!!

Cody Marie

Update on January Post

There were a couple of things that I had mentioned in my January blog that have changed and I wanted to share them with all of you as well.

I am going to transfer to Northwest Nazarene University (that hasn't changed) and major in Communications to get my BA degree, then head into four areas for Masters degrees. (I might be crazy here, but this is where I feel God is leading me--who knows, it might change, like some of it has already.) After my BA in Communications, I am going to start "Spiritual Formation". I am REALLY excited about doing that; but I have to take things one step at a time and I cannot be so focused on the future, which I am most of the time. After that is "Pastoral Leadership", I am still not sure why God is leading me in this direction, but I am excited to find out. Next is, "Missional Leadership" (I think that's the official name, but I could be wrong--this is focused on missions. Last is "Christian Education" which will be a great deal of fun too. And after that I am going to start that ministry which I blogged about in January. (If you want to read it, you've got to scroll ALL the way down to the bottom of the page)

God Bless all of you and thanks for the encouraging messages you have left me on Facebook!

Cody Marie

Stress: Another Failed Test From God

Isaiah 43:1-4:
1 But now, O Jacob, listen to the Lord who created you. O Israel, the one who formed you says, “Do not be afraid, for I have ransomed you. I have called you by name; you are mine.
2 When you go through deep waters, I will be with you. When you go through rivers of difficulty, you will not drown. When you walk through the fire of oppression, you will not be burned up; the flames will not consume you.
3 For I am the Lord, your God, the Holy One of Israel, your Savior. I gave Egypt as a ransom for your freedom; I gave Ethiopia[a] and Seba in your place.
4 Others were given in exchange for you. I traded their lives for yours because you are precious to me. You are honored, and I love you."

Footnotes:
Isaiah 43:3 Hebrew Cush

After reading these verses I began to cry. They were exactly what I needed to hear, right at that time. Why did I suffer for a month? Because it was time for me to "go through deep waters". Problem was, I didn't reach for God to keep me above the water, instead I was drowning...now my head is above the water...my body filled with new strength to reach the land, the finish line: graduation.



For the past month, I have let stress take over my life. I have been SO BUSY that I haven't had time to breathe and take a day off. And I know this is a failed test from God.

Today, as I sought help from a friend of mine for a Bible verse to help me relieve stress (the one above) and God spoke through her, rather, chatted through her while I was on Facebook, and I feel INCREDIBLY BETTER than I did just three hours ago.

Other verses recommended by different friends were:
Romans 8:28: "And we know that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to his purpose for them."

2 Corinthians 9:7-9: "You must each decide in your heart how much to give. And don’t give reluctantly or in response to pressure. “For God loves a person who gives cheerfully.” 8 And God will generously provide all you need. Then you will always have everything you need and plenty left over to share with others. 9 As the Scriptures say, “They share freely and give generously to the poor. Their good deeds will be remembered forever.""

Job Chapters 1-3

Ecc. 11:4-6: 4 "Farmers who wait for perfect weather never plant. If they watch every cloud, they never harvest. 5 Just as you cannot understand the path of the wind or the mystery of a tiny baby growing in its mother’s womb, so you cannot understand the activity of God, who does all things. 6 Plant your seed in the morning and keep busy all afternoon, for you don’t know if profit will come from one activity or another—or maybe both."

this song on you tube: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jP2nz6PG8KM,

Psalm 118:8: " It is better to take refuge in the Lord than to trust in people."

and Jeremiah 29:11 "For I know the plans I have for you,” says the Lord. “They are plans for good and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope."

(Not to mention that this last one was another anwer to a different prayer--I'll blog about that later)

Stress is SO consuming....it takes control and it doesn't let go and then I get too busy and I don't read the Bible, and then not only was my body tired, but my soul also. It started to get chocked off and then I fell apart.

I cannot believe I tried to do this on my own....instead of saying, "God hold me above the water and help me get there." I tried on my own. I had a strong start, but at the end of the first day I could already tell I was slowing down, my destination wasn't getting closer and I wasn't getting any younger. Then the first week ended. My mouth was under the water, my nose barely above it...struggling was definate. By the end of the second week, both my nose and mouth were under, I was trying to keep my eyes above. The end of the 3rd week (today) I was giving up, my arms, which were just above the water were sinking below the surface, like the Titanic. I was drowning and I couldn't figure out how to keep myself alive.

Then, when I saw my friend on Facebook Chat today, I reached out, almost like I reached up toward her boat sitting ontop of the water, and she reached out her hand, doing God's instruction. God had her pull me from the water. And now I'm on the boat, ontop of the water, soaking wet, and fighting the urge to jump back in; to let the raging waters of Stress take me over again.

Now, I know what I must do to keep inside the boat, I'm gonna do that now :)