I am going to Croatia a week from Thursday.  I am getting excited!  I have the “I’ve gotta get to another country” itch for sure.  It’s been almost a year since I’ve left the homeland, and I can feel it in my bones.  I have been so blessed by the training I am in now, and can’t wait to bless the nations with what God has blessed me with.  My team is incredible, and I’m excited to get to know them better.

My prayer is that I will bring hope and joy into this place just by being there.   I want to be able to shift atmospheres simply through the presence of God in me.  The Lord led me to this verse the other day and I think it’s for this trip.

“As they pass through the Valley of Baca,

they make it a place of springs;

the autumn rains also cover it with pools.”

Psalm 84:6

The valley of Baca was a place of weeping, but when David and his worshippers past through on their way to Jerusalem it became a fertile land.

Will you pray for me and my team as we bring the refreshing presence of God into this once war-torn land?

Please pray for:

protection

favor-divine appointments

intercession that leads us to work in partnership with the Father’s heart

insane team unity (that they will know we are HIS by our love)

salvation, signs, and wonders

encounters with the LOVE of the Father

Thanks so much!

i’m sorry i haven’t written this week…

life has been a bit busy.

conference, friends visiting, healing rooms, skiing, getting the boot from our house, etc.

i gotta go find a place to live.

will be back soon.

i love the feeling of grass beneath my feet.

i love laying in the hammock with the sun on my face.

i love the warmth of a sleeping baby on my chest.

i love singing on the phone with bryson.

i love baths.

i love a good conversation.

i love to be held by my Maker.

i love to create beautiful things.

i love clean sheets.

i love to read magazines.

i love laughing until my stomach hurts.

i love remember whens.

just felt like sharing…

thanks for reading!

I got to paint on stage yesterday in worship at school.  Four of us girls painted while the worship team led.  It was actually really fun!  This is the picture I felt led to paint.  The bubbles represent God’s presence surrounding us as we worship/adore Him.

Thanks for reading!

Love,

Me

1. Russell didn’t quite stop in time, therefore my bumper took one for the team, and my rearview mirror fell off.  We got to meet in a Starbucks parking lot.  Actually he never got my name.  Sad, I think he was confused.

2. I went to work at the pregnancy center.  Apparently had a string hanging off my shirt.  A lady I just met who is probably in her 70’s took it off for me and informed me that it looked kinda dorky.

3. We did Valentine crafts at the retirement center this week.  We decorated cookies and made cards.  I found one card covered in purple icing, creative, I guess? (Blue glue has made life way too complicated)

4. And when I left one lady tried to shake my hand.  I said no, I need a  hug.  She went on to wrap her arms around me and give me the best hug of my week!

5. I went to get in the rental car Friday morning to find my rental papers strewn across the front seat and my cd’s missing.  It seems I didn’t lock it and someone just got a whole new array of worship cd’s…

6.  I got a bed!!

Hmm…

Today you get some randomness.

No theology, no funny stories, just me in rare form.

I guess that might not come as too much of a surprise?

I just have to tell you my appreciation for books.  With so much online resource these days, sometimes we forget what the weight of a good book feels like.

I must also confess I love the library.  My heart feels lighter as I pull books of assorted subjects off the shelf.  Ah, the public library.

One more reason to be grateful for the American life!

That’s all.

Mornings for me begin with a glance at a list in my planner.  What do I need to do today?  How am I going to accomplish this?

As I was getting ready this morning, a song came on the radio called “Listen Up.”  It struck me a bit, but I just kept going.  While I was making breakfast, I just felt that tug on my heart.  I finished breakfast and one more thing on the “list,” then decided to sit with the Lord.

I turned on worship music, and began to turn  my attention towards heaven.  I thought how long should I sit here, one song, two, songs?  Then I felt the Lord say, “how long are you willing to sit here?”.  “As long as you want,” I replied.  “What about your homework, the list?” he asked.  “Even if I don’t make it back to the list, as long as you need,” I answered.

Immediately I felt His presence fill the room, and a sweet peace fill my spirit.  I sat before Him, not asking for anything, not saying anything, just being with Him.

The story of the “sinner” woman washing His feet came to my mind eventually.  (Luke 7:36-50) I turned to it.  It’s hard to read that story and not be convicted.  Wow, Jesus is so worthy of extravagant love.  He is so worthy of illogical acts of worship.  He has forgiven much.

I have to ask myself, am I the pharisee in this story?  Do I think more about the practical aspects of life than a life of extravagant love?  Am I more concerned with making sense, keeping up appearances, and by all means not being that  crazy extremist, than loving my Saviour well?

I want to be like her.  I want to recklessly love on the one who first loved me.  I want to love Him above and beyond what is required.  I want to love Him and through Him learn to love the broken.  I want to be His friend.

Before I knew it, an entire album was over, and my heart was blessed even though that wasn’t even my intent.  He is never a selfish friend, and cannot come to the table without love, because HE IS LOVE.

TURN THE LIGHT ON! Awaken the dawn. Spring come forth.  Warm sun shine your light.  Melt away the cold snow. Flowers blossom.  Darkness flee.  It is time for the seasons to shift.  I have a ticket that frequent flier miles could never acquire.  I am passing through gates covered in pearls.  I’m moving into a mansion money can’t buy.  Gravity just lost it’s hold on me.  My freedom has a receipt.  I WON’T RETURN IT FOR SHACKLES!  Hibernation is over.  A banquet awaits.  the wine has been poured.  I will drink and be satisfied.  The table is set.  I will eat and be full.  My name is written before an empty seat.  My place is in the midst of heros.  Begging and scavenging are suddenly a thing of the past, for my cup runneth over.  Abundance boasts of a goodness beyond comprehension.

“Lord, you have assigned me my portion and my cup; you have made my lot secure.”  Psalm 16:5

I wrote this after reflecting a bit on surrender.  Recognizing again that all worry in my life reflects an area where I have not surrendered.  it is an area where I am not walking trust.  It is an area of darkness covered by the dark clouds of fear, doubt, and lies.

As I worried about my future, I remembered a story I heard recently.  At my last mission trip meeting we were discussing God’s provision.  My leader shared that one time he didn’t have any money towards a trip.  When called into a meeting and told the reality of his financial situation, he just fell to the floor laughing.  The lady talking to him at first became upset.  He looked up at her and said, “I’m going to heaven!”  He recognized in light of eternity, worrying about this trip was ridiculous.  (Immediately following this, someone handed him a check for the cost of the trip)

Even in pondering, ok worrying, about my future, I need to remember to place my future under the light of eternity.  My three year old nephew asked Jesus into his life this week.  On the phone, he said, “I’m going to heaven! You can come too, if you want?”

Dear friends, don’t grow weary, for heaven awaits us, and these momentary troubles will melt in the light of His glorious presence.

Dare to dream. Dare to believe. Dare to discover. Dare to risk. Dare to trust. Dare to be brave. Dare to fail. Dare to succeed. Dare to forge a new path. Dare to do the undone.

Courage

. [L., the heart.] Bravery; intrepidity; that quality of mind which enables men to encounter danger and difficulties with firmness, or without fear or depression of spirits; valor; boldness; resolution. It is a constituent part of fortitude; but fortitude implies patience to bear continued suffering.

“Courage is going from failure to failure without losing enthusiasm.”

Winston Churchill quotes

“Each time we face our fear, we gain strength, courage, and confidence in the doing.”

unknown author

“Courage is resistance to fear, mastery of fear – not absence of fear”

Mark Twain quotes

“The greatest barrier to success is the fear of failure.”

Sven Goran Eriksson quote

“If we’re growing, we’re always going to be out of our comfort zone.”

John Maxwell quotes

“The greatest mistake we make is living in constant fear that we will make one.”

John Maxwell quote

“For whatever is born of God overcomes the world, and this is the victory that has overcome the world-our faith.”  1 John 5:4

Nicodemus asked, “How can a man be born again, even when he is old?”  Jesus responded in a metaphor about the wind.  He wasn’t making a statement about weather patterns, but about faith.  You can’t see it but you sense it, you feel it, you know it’s there.  (John 3:1-21)

I think most of us would agree that Jesus resurrection from the grave bought us victory, right?

Then why do we see so many believers walking around in such defeat?

Can I propose to you that perhaps it is more an issue of faith than a debate about the atonement?

To be born again, we must believe, and that belief is what results in victory.  Victory received into our lives is a result of an unshakable resolve to believe the Truth no matter the emotion or the circumstance.

If you have received Christ into your life, the victory is within you.  The only weapon the enemy has is to make you think that you are defeated.

The truth is Christ is risen, He has already won and purchased a victorious life for you.  Receive it, believe it!

“To them God has chosen to make known among the Gentiles the glorious riches of this mystery, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory.”

Colossians 1:27