I got married without the Wedding.

"Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God." -Philippians 4.6

NO, I did not go and get eloped at a drive through chapel in Vegas. And NO, I

do not have some boyfriend that I've been secretly dating for the past couple of years (and believe me, you would have known if I did). Instead, I committed my mind, body, & soul to the Lord. So YES, I have committed myself  to a divine being before committing myself to man of 'this world'.
It took me awhile to figure out that I needed to take this step before I continued my search in hopes to find a future husband. First of all, it wouldn't be fair to me or the man that I would marry, if I didn't find myself through the Lord's teachings first.
You may ask, "What does this involve Erika?" Well, let me tell you. It goes along with the same vows that one would take at their wedding:

I give you my hand, my heart, and my promise to have and to hold, from this day forward, for better, for worse, for richer, for poorer, in sickness and in health, all the days of my life. 

Now, lets be honest, some people may think I am crazy. I AM. I am CRAZY for
the Lord. With marriage bonds, one can not fully seek out the intentions of others and cheat on their other half. This will be REALLY hard for me. Each and every day, we tend to cheat on the Lord. Who is this other person you may ask. Well, the devil can be one sly being that wants to break the bonds that we have with the Lord. Therefor, I am fully committing myself to be pure for the Lord. 
Let me just first tell you, this will be the hardest thing that I will have to encounter, and I encourage others to take up the challenge. If we turn our views of our relationship with the Lord into something that each and every one of us want to pursue at some point in our life, such as marriage, then I believe that our relationships with the Lord will be stronger than ever.
There are many different relationships that one can have with Christ, it just depends on the view point we take during our time here on this earth.
So go, take up your vows with the Lord, and build a stronger relationship with him than ever. 

-Erika Watson

We are ALL called to Serve

"For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future." -Jeremiah 29.11

Okay, so I am going to start off by stating the obvious; I'm crazy for driving across the country by myself, AGAIN!! I know, it may look like I might not have a plan, but there is one. Like the verse above says, "The Lord has plans for you to prosper, not to harm you." 
Any who, to keep you updated about this 'path' God has chosen for me, I wanted to update you about the upcoming months ahead. I will be a Program Director this summer (for my 5th summer) at Camp Rim Rock in WV. I am super pumped about this new responsibility I will take on. WHAT YOU DON'T KNOW is my plan after camp. Lets be honest, I just figured this out this week. 
As some of you may know, I have been discerning the idea of  becoming a full time missionary for Life Teen Missions for the next 2 years. What that entails, is that I will give my life up for two years to help serve the youth of society by helping them have a closer relationship with The Lord. 
Well, with A LOT of prayer and advice from my family members & friends, I have decided to accept this opportunity and follow the will of God. I am super nervous and excited at the same time. Not only do I need your prayer and support as my friends and family, but I also ask that you donate to the cause. Life Teen Missionaries depend completely on God's providence and mission partners as vital instruments. If you commit to my mission and cause, I will commit to praying for you and your intentions, as well as keeping you updated on my progress on how God is working within my life as a missionary. 
By no means do you have to decide today if you would like to financially support me, but I do ask that you pray for me. 
This journey, by far, is one of the most important things that I have committed my life, time, and soul to. I hope that you can help me through this journey with your support and prayers. 
I want to share this verse with you that I came across right after I accepted this opportunity to become a missionary: "Never be lazy in your work, but serve the Lord enthusiastically. Be glad for all God is planning for you. Be patient in trouble, and always be prayerful." -Romans 12.11-12
If this isn't a sign from God confirming this opportunity, then I don't know what is. I just want to thank you for your support in advance. You would not be reading this if you didn't believe in me. 
If you would like to know and find out more about the mission, please email me or call me. I would love to talk to anyone and everyone who would like to support me in my journey!! 

-Erika Watson
erwatso2@gmail.com
601-490-0840