Hey, blog folk!
Well I am officially in Utah :-). CRAY. ZAY.
It has been quite the last two weeks. Full of process, transition, newness, and a whole bushel of change. Here's the gist:
- Moved here on the 2nd. When I first arrived, I was completely overwhelmed that my life changed utterly overnight. In addition to all of my unprocessed emotion from leaving C3, work, and friends in the desert, I was pretty on edge emotionally for the next few days.
- I stayed with newfound friends through amazing provision from The Lord for the first two day. Then on the 4th, I moved to where I am currently staying: a house built in 1908 with a family of 8 (Cory, Becky Jo and their 6 little girls). Settling into a place is helpful for any transition, especially when that place is with great friends. My heart began to calm, yet my joy was still under attack.
- On the 5th I had a job interview at SwimKids, an organization that teaches young children how to swim. Though the interview went very well, I was very concerned with working with kids again when I was still so exhausted from my previous job. The next day, the owner called me to talk about how the interview went. Through encouragement from The Lord and friends, I shared my concerns with her and, praise Him, they could not have fallen on a more gracious ear. She was more than understanding and after talking with her about splitting my time between the office and the pool, I felt confident to accept the job! My heart felt more at ease, and wondered at the Lord's provision again, yet I still remained without joy.
- Days progressed and it became more and more clear that this was/is the land The Lord has brought me to. As I've connected with other believers in the area and spent time with friends, sharing our hearts in fellowship, my heart has leaped from sparks of joy and excitement that I believe The Lord desires to ignite in a long lasting way. But what has really settled my heart?...
- Where I'm sitting right now, where The Lord has met me. I'm in this cafe, seated at the counter, facing the window. I've just had a scrumptious lunch and am looking out at the snowcovered ground, trees, and mountains. I am in love with this space in the world The Lord has given me; even if its just for the next hour or so. I know that no matter where I go in life, the Lord's place for me is right here. Not in this cafe, not in this town, or even on this earth. But here, with Him. My heart beating with His, rejoicing in where He has brought me, what He has given me, and who He is.
So here I am! Here I am, indeed. I'm excited to see what The Lord has in store and I am certainly enjoying the glorious "getting there".
More updates to come soon!
Friday, February 15, 2013
Wednesday, January 23, 2013
Lead me on.
And she's off again :-). This crazy girl and her God adventures.
I will try to make the story brief. Around the end of summer last year, I hit a point with my job where I felt the Lord was releasing me from being there. Though I haven't kept up with updates on my blog, the few updates I have given regarding my job just hint at the challenge it has been. For a perfectionist like myself, exhausting my efforts at work and still encountering hardship was devastating. Yet, the Father, being sovereign, used it to teach me so much. Anyways, I hit a point at work where, amidst another breakdown, I heard the Spirit say, you are not to be here forever. I was grateful, sad and somewhat relieved. My heart responded with, what next?
I have thought for sometime that my time frame at work was related to my time here in the desert; from when I first committed to my job. Now that my time at my job was coming to a close, where was I to go next?
Funny question, because at this point in time, I seemed surrounded by options. I had friends moving to Sacramento, friends moving to Utah, friends/family staying in the desert, friends up and down the west coast, family in San Diego, family in Oklahoma...all expressing a desire for me to be near them. Though I did long to be near all of them, I really wanted the Lord to give me a totally different path to a different place so I wouldn't have to displease anyone. This, I am able to see now, is not the cry of a surrendered heart. Though maybe my desire to please was rooted somewhere in love, it was stronger than my desire to simply follow the Lord...wherever.
A couple months later, in seeking the Lord on my future, I felt stirred toward moving to Utah. As I mentioned, earlier, I had friends (Meg and Chad, Becky Jo and Cory) moving there to seek the Lord in ministry and because of this I dismissed me going there too. I still didn't think this was a serious option: difficult ministry overseas? yes. moving to Utah to minister and seek the Lord with friends? surely not. Yet the Lord kept moving in my heart towards Utah.
A very long story short, the Lord led me to seek out and invited me into opportunities to talk about the possibility of Utah over and over again with friends and family. It was Him inviting me to step further with this possibility. you can say yes or you can say no, here I am. Since my deliberation process in coming out to Indio was so overanalyzed, agonizing, and unnecessarily drawn out, I decided not to hesitate and respond to the Lord's call.
Through much encouragement from Him to step out, I have decided to do just that. In short, I'm moving to Utah! Holladay, Utah. To continue to seek the Lord in His grand adventure He has for all of those who love Him. I'm moving February 2nd and can't wait to see what He has in store :-).
I will keep this blog updated more frequently, we can all hope. In the meantime, if you could pray for my transition in leaving my job, kids, friends, and loving church family, I would really appreciate it. Though this transition is hard and requires strength, I'm walking with the One who is strong in our weaknesses. I am tried, tested, weary, yet unafraid, worship-full, and excited. He is so good. Stay tuned, because this next season will be too. :-)
I will try to make the story brief. Around the end of summer last year, I hit a point with my job where I felt the Lord was releasing me from being there. Though I haven't kept up with updates on my blog, the few updates I have given regarding my job just hint at the challenge it has been. For a perfectionist like myself, exhausting my efforts at work and still encountering hardship was devastating. Yet, the Father, being sovereign, used it to teach me so much. Anyways, I hit a point at work where, amidst another breakdown, I heard the Spirit say, you are not to be here forever. I was grateful, sad and somewhat relieved. My heart responded with, what next?
I have thought for sometime that my time frame at work was related to my time here in the desert; from when I first committed to my job. Now that my time at my job was coming to a close, where was I to go next?
Funny question, because at this point in time, I seemed surrounded by options. I had friends moving to Sacramento, friends moving to Utah, friends/family staying in the desert, friends up and down the west coast, family in San Diego, family in Oklahoma...all expressing a desire for me to be near them. Though I did long to be near all of them, I really wanted the Lord to give me a totally different path to a different place so I wouldn't have to displease anyone. This, I am able to see now, is not the cry of a surrendered heart. Though maybe my desire to please was rooted somewhere in love, it was stronger than my desire to simply follow the Lord...wherever.
A couple months later, in seeking the Lord on my future, I felt stirred toward moving to Utah. As I mentioned, earlier, I had friends (Meg and Chad, Becky Jo and Cory) moving there to seek the Lord in ministry and because of this I dismissed me going there too. I still didn't think this was a serious option: difficult ministry overseas? yes. moving to Utah to minister and seek the Lord with friends? surely not. Yet the Lord kept moving in my heart towards Utah.
A very long story short, the Lord led me to seek out and invited me into opportunities to talk about the possibility of Utah over and over again with friends and family. It was Him inviting me to step further with this possibility. you can say yes or you can say no, here I am. Since my deliberation process in coming out to Indio was so overanalyzed, agonizing, and unnecessarily drawn out, I decided not to hesitate and respond to the Lord's call.
Through much encouragement from Him to step out, I have decided to do just that. In short, I'm moving to Utah! Holladay, Utah. To continue to seek the Lord in His grand adventure He has for all of those who love Him. I'm moving February 2nd and can't wait to see what He has in store :-).
I will keep this blog updated more frequently, we can all hope. In the meantime, if you could pray for my transition in leaving my job, kids, friends, and loving church family, I would really appreciate it. Though this transition is hard and requires strength, I'm walking with the One who is strong in our weaknesses. I am tried, tested, weary, yet unafraid, worship-full, and excited. He is so good. Stay tuned, because this next season will be too. :-)
Monday, April 23, 2012
Lucky Number Seven
Yes, folks. I am moving. Again. Which makes seven times in 2 years. I've been reading through old journals of mine on and off for awhile now and the other day, I read a prayer I wrote awhile ago that said,
"God, rock my world."
HA!
Naive, silly girl.
Don't you know the Lord hears and answers prayers?
Anyway, I am grateful that things continue to change around me, since I thrive in and am energized by it. Here are the most recent changes in the Lord's continual shake up of my life's snowglobe:
- Less than a week after my last post, my roommate Margaret received a dream job offer working as an Assistant Regional Director for an educational development organization called the Flippen Group (yes. you read that correctly. Flippen. founder of the organization? Flip Flippen. no joke.). She has been following this group as an avid admirer for the last eight years and through crazy and unconventional connections, ended up in the path of her now soon-to-be boss, who deemed her invaluable. She and David will be moving out to Texas in three weeks to begin her training as soon as possible. She and David are both astounded by this amazing opportunity and are so excited to begin this new adventure.
- Since my roommates are moving, that means I'm moving! May 16th to be exact. Which I am very excited about. Moving in my life has been such a literal picture of what is happening in the spirit. God is bringing about something new and this next move is a physical representation of that. I am moving in with my friend in the desert, Amber, and her grandmother, Lynda. The Lord has so prepared my heart to live with them and I am excited to do life with these two wonderful women. I will be helping around the house and taking over food responsibilities for the household. The level of enthusiasm I have for this is astronomical. I say this without an ounce of sarcasm: NOTHING excites me quite like organizing and accomplishing kitchen tasks. I am so serious. I'm over the moon.
- C3 continues to thrive. We had over three hundred people come to our Community Easter Egg Hunt, which was about triple what we had last year. OVERWHELMING to say the LEAST! But through that event, we've had the privilege of fellowshipping with a few new families on Sundays, which makes the exhaustion all worth it.
- My job continues to try me to my very core. It is clear that the enemy is coming up against me at work. However, as usual, the Lord is using it for His glorious purposes. He is showing me exactly who I am in Him and how I must stand, unwavering, despite the flames. My kids are incredibly difficult and my coworkers are led by the world. And the Lord is sovereign. Praise His name.
- Since my last post, which was just three months ago, my delicious cousin, Katie Mei, was diagnosed with, treated for, and is now in remission from Hodgkin's Lymphoma. Katie was diagnosed the day before Valentine's Day with stage 2 of this form of lymph node cancer. Her journey through this valley has been nothing short of glorious, praise Him. Katie faced this trial with strength, courage, and joy, graciously because of her relationship with the Father. She has constantly testified that God is bigger than cancer and is living proof of the power of God in how He has healed her! She is ecstatic to be done with chemotherapy so she can eat chocolate again :-) and return to school. I'm planning on seeing her the second weekend in June and CAN NOT WAIT to get my arms around her.
- Through these past few hard months, with work being so difficult and the news of Katie weighing on my heart, the Lord has made two things abundantly clear: He is in control always. And I am to worship Him always. The second I got the call from my mom regarding Katie, I knew that I needed to stand in an attitude of worship before the Lord. Not question. Not panic. Not fear of what is of this world. But worship of the King. By His grace, He is teaching me to be a perpetual worshipper. It is not easy. And not an overnight transformation, much to my impatient heart's dismay. But it is a rich lesson, full of His goodness. This lesson has been involving a lot of music, which is so gracious of the Lord, seeing as it's something He and I both love. But worship is more than a song, more than one choice, more than one moment of spirit overcoming flesh. Worship is a continual stance before the King. Lord, teach us and guide us in this.
It certainly has been a busy few months since we last talked and the next few are going to be equally busy, I am sure. Yet, as the proverbial jagged pieces of white swirl around me and my world continues to spin, I will rest in the hands that hold me. Bless His name.
"God, rock my world."
HA!
Naive, silly girl.
Don't you know the Lord hears and answers prayers?
Anyway, I am grateful that things continue to change around me, since I thrive in and am energized by it. Here are the most recent changes in the Lord's continual shake up of my life's snowglobe:
- Less than a week after my last post, my roommate Margaret received a dream job offer working as an Assistant Regional Director for an educational development organization called the Flippen Group (yes. you read that correctly. Flippen. founder of the organization? Flip Flippen. no joke.). She has been following this group as an avid admirer for the last eight years and through crazy and unconventional connections, ended up in the path of her now soon-to-be boss, who deemed her invaluable. She and David will be moving out to Texas in three weeks to begin her training as soon as possible. She and David are both astounded by this amazing opportunity and are so excited to begin this new adventure.
- Since my roommates are moving, that means I'm moving! May 16th to be exact. Which I am very excited about. Moving in my life has been such a literal picture of what is happening in the spirit. God is bringing about something new and this next move is a physical representation of that. I am moving in with my friend in the desert, Amber, and her grandmother, Lynda. The Lord has so prepared my heart to live with them and I am excited to do life with these two wonderful women. I will be helping around the house and taking over food responsibilities for the household. The level of enthusiasm I have for this is astronomical. I say this without an ounce of sarcasm: NOTHING excites me quite like organizing and accomplishing kitchen tasks. I am so serious. I'm over the moon.
- C3 continues to thrive. We had over three hundred people come to our Community Easter Egg Hunt, which was about triple what we had last year. OVERWHELMING to say the LEAST! But through that event, we've had the privilege of fellowshipping with a few new families on Sundays, which makes the exhaustion all worth it.
- My job continues to try me to my very core. It is clear that the enemy is coming up against me at work. However, as usual, the Lord is using it for His glorious purposes. He is showing me exactly who I am in Him and how I must stand, unwavering, despite the flames. My kids are incredibly difficult and my coworkers are led by the world. And the Lord is sovereign. Praise His name.
- Since my last post, which was just three months ago, my delicious cousin, Katie Mei, was diagnosed with, treated for, and is now in remission from Hodgkin's Lymphoma. Katie was diagnosed the day before Valentine's Day with stage 2 of this form of lymph node cancer. Her journey through this valley has been nothing short of glorious, praise Him. Katie faced this trial with strength, courage, and joy, graciously because of her relationship with the Father. She has constantly testified that God is bigger than cancer and is living proof of the power of God in how He has healed her! She is ecstatic to be done with chemotherapy so she can eat chocolate again :-) and return to school. I'm planning on seeing her the second weekend in June and CAN NOT WAIT to get my arms around her.
- Through these past few hard months, with work being so difficult and the news of Katie weighing on my heart, the Lord has made two things abundantly clear: He is in control always. And I am to worship Him always. The second I got the call from my mom regarding Katie, I knew that I needed to stand in an attitude of worship before the Lord. Not question. Not panic. Not fear of what is of this world. But worship of the King. By His grace, He is teaching me to be a perpetual worshipper. It is not easy. And not an overnight transformation, much to my impatient heart's dismay. But it is a rich lesson, full of His goodness. This lesson has been involving a lot of music, which is so gracious of the Lord, seeing as it's something He and I both love. But worship is more than a song, more than one choice, more than one moment of spirit overcoming flesh. Worship is a continual stance before the King. Lord, teach us and guide us in this.
It certainly has been a busy few months since we last talked and the next few are going to be equally busy, I am sure. Yet, as the proverbial jagged pieces of white swirl around me and my world continues to spin, I will rest in the hands that hold me. Bless His name.
Thursday, February 9, 2012
eight months.
EIGHT MONTHS!
Yes. It's undeniable. An inexcusable, un-defendable (?) fact. I have not posted in eight months. But, I'm not here to apologize for it :-). I am sorry for those of you who have waited for an update and have not received one, I wish I could see you on a regular basis and fill you in in person. Yet, I'm not apologizing for not posting for posting sake. The Lord has been doing a lot and there simply has not been space in my mind or day for a blog post. UNTIL NOW! WOOHOO!
It has been over a year since I've been out to the desert. WHAT?! Yes. Over a year. It has definitely been an overflowing year of heart swells, waiting, frustration, confusion, peace, excitement, sorrow, and unceasing joy. Our Father is so good. If there is a phrase to come away from the journey the Lord has had me on this past year it is that: Our Father is so GOOD. And none is like Him. Okay where to begin...
So last post I mentioned there was a couple coming out to Indio to be part of C3. Not only have they come as of August 18th, the Lord has provided a job for Margaret, strength for David and his schooling, and a place for me in their home!! Amazing. Upon coming out to the desert for the 3rd or 4th time, David and Margaret felt like they should look for houses with space for me to live with them. What. Ridiculous, I know. :-) They were looking for a house with enough space for their three nephews they are pursuing adopting. Many larger houses out here in the desert have mother-in-law type suite attached to the house called a casita. With their price point for rent, finding the right house was a long shot for man's efforts, but not at all for our God. We found a house close to church with plenty of space and a casita whose landlord lowered the rent for us by $200 a month. Now David and Margaret are paying LESS for this house than their apartment in San Diego! Long story short, I'm living in their casita and am so blessed by it. It is such a sweet, perfect space for me and the Lord.
Living with David and Margaret has been both easy and challenging. They have been going through a LOT since being out here; transition after transition after heartache after heartache. In this, I know that this living situation is of the utmost purpose. The Lord has placed me here to battle with them, and I am blessed to do so. It has been easy in that they are wonderful and I love spending time with them.
C3 has been growing so much in the last several months! We have about 20-25 people coming regularly, which has been a huge encouragement for Mark. We have four, yes four, new people on staff!
Tim, who is David's mentor, moved out to Indio to be near David and Margaret. He and David and Margaret have felt strongly about living and serving the Lord near one another for a long time and it seems the Lord meant it to come to fruition in Indio! Tim has come on staff as our Communications Representative and we are blessed to have him! He has such a sweet and tender heart for the Lord and for others.
Dan and Dianne, a married couple from Indio, have also come on staff. They felt strongly that the Lord desired them to serve as missionaries in their own community, and they have walked obediently in that. Following the Lord's steps set before them, they found themselves at C3! I can not tell you how much of an encouragement and support they have been to me and everyone at C3. They are intentionally living in a retirement community seeking ministry opportunities daily. Dianne has come on as a Administrative Assistant to Mark, as well as the curriculum organizer for kids' stuff. :-) Dan has come on as an assistant to Mark in finances, as well an all around support for any task that needs to be done.
Last, but certainly not least, Salomon has come alongside C3 to serve as our music worship leader. He and his new bride, Kristen, just moved out here after the new year and have found promising employment opportunities in the community where Dan and Dianne live. The Lord is so good in bringing them to us. Their presence is such a blessing to me and to our whole group.
Just in case you haven't been overwhelmed by changes yet, we have also moved locations! We are now meeting at a place called Kids' Party Central, which is a party rental facility. The set up is working out very smoothly for Sunday mornings.
Phew! A lot? That's just a paint-covered tip of the paintbrush to this whole piece of artwork the Lord is doing in the desert. There are changes everywhere I turn. Work has been anything but easy. The lovely desert family I have walked into is going through so many new challenges. More have moved, some are moving, new babies are coming again. The Lord's processes are unending. I am so grateful.
I thought He had already defined Himself for me before I came out to the desert. how wrong I was. He is definitely uprooting any thought or preconceived notion that had/has established itself in my mind and heart about Him that He has not established Himself. Destruction has come to my fleshly understanding of things, graciously in the form of Love. He has romanced me, is romancing me, in a deeper way than I have ever experience. A deep romance, that has no resemblance to a love affair. This is a romance that my Husband intends to keep burning. He loves. Over and over. This is how He has destroyed and rebuilt. In love.
This does not mean it has been easy. OH NO. Or not painful. Having parts of you torn out is brutal. Sometimes it has me seeing nothing but sorrow and chaos. Yet. At the end of the day, He is the Overflow of joy and peace that more than sustains me.
There are many parts of this mystery we call the Lord that I have yet to even lay eyes on. But I know He is good. SO good. Not by our definition of good that often denotes wealth and "provision". By His definition. He is who He is. What comfort we can take in that! He simply asks us to look at Him, with single vision. He teaches us and loves us into not wavering at circumstance.
"Just look at me, Beloved one."
I promise more updates to come as the Lord desires. For now, be blessed and love the Lord, for He LOVES.
PRAYER REQUESTS:
- David and Margaret and their continued journey with the Lord.
- C3. That we would surrender all to Him.
- The desert in general. That the Lord will be seen for who He is. That His precious ones would sit at His feet.
- Work. My job is taxing, exhausting, and difficult. Please pray for the Lord's protection and peace. Also pray for my kids' hearts; that the Lord would capture them.
Yes. It's undeniable. An inexcusable, un-defendable (?) fact. I have not posted in eight months. But, I'm not here to apologize for it :-). I am sorry for those of you who have waited for an update and have not received one, I wish I could see you on a regular basis and fill you in in person. Yet, I'm not apologizing for not posting for posting sake. The Lord has been doing a lot and there simply has not been space in my mind or day for a blog post. UNTIL NOW! WOOHOO!
It has been over a year since I've been out to the desert. WHAT?! Yes. Over a year. It has definitely been an overflowing year of heart swells, waiting, frustration, confusion, peace, excitement, sorrow, and unceasing joy. Our Father is so good. If there is a phrase to come away from the journey the Lord has had me on this past year it is that: Our Father is so GOOD. And none is like Him. Okay where to begin...
So last post I mentioned there was a couple coming out to Indio to be part of C3. Not only have they come as of August 18th, the Lord has provided a job for Margaret, strength for David and his schooling, and a place for me in their home!! Amazing. Upon coming out to the desert for the 3rd or 4th time, David and Margaret felt like they should look for houses with space for me to live with them. What. Ridiculous, I know. :-) They were looking for a house with enough space for their three nephews they are pursuing adopting. Many larger houses out here in the desert have mother-in-law type suite attached to the house called a casita. With their price point for rent, finding the right house was a long shot for man's efforts, but not at all for our God. We found a house close to church with plenty of space and a casita whose landlord lowered the rent for us by $200 a month. Now David and Margaret are paying LESS for this house than their apartment in San Diego! Long story short, I'm living in their casita and am so blessed by it. It is such a sweet, perfect space for me and the Lord.
Living with David and Margaret has been both easy and challenging. They have been going through a LOT since being out here; transition after transition after heartache after heartache. In this, I know that this living situation is of the utmost purpose. The Lord has placed me here to battle with them, and I am blessed to do so. It has been easy in that they are wonderful and I love spending time with them.
C3 has been growing so much in the last several months! We have about 20-25 people coming regularly, which has been a huge encouragement for Mark. We have four, yes four, new people on staff!
Tim, who is David's mentor, moved out to Indio to be near David and Margaret. He and David and Margaret have felt strongly about living and serving the Lord near one another for a long time and it seems the Lord meant it to come to fruition in Indio! Tim has come on staff as our Communications Representative and we are blessed to have him! He has such a sweet and tender heart for the Lord and for others.
Dan and Dianne, a married couple from Indio, have also come on staff. They felt strongly that the Lord desired them to serve as missionaries in their own community, and they have walked obediently in that. Following the Lord's steps set before them, they found themselves at C3! I can not tell you how much of an encouragement and support they have been to me and everyone at C3. They are intentionally living in a retirement community seeking ministry opportunities daily. Dianne has come on as a Administrative Assistant to Mark, as well as the curriculum organizer for kids' stuff. :-) Dan has come on as an assistant to Mark in finances, as well an all around support for any task that needs to be done.
Last, but certainly not least, Salomon has come alongside C3 to serve as our music worship leader. He and his new bride, Kristen, just moved out here after the new year and have found promising employment opportunities in the community where Dan and Dianne live. The Lord is so good in bringing them to us. Their presence is such a blessing to me and to our whole group.
Just in case you haven't been overwhelmed by changes yet, we have also moved locations! We are now meeting at a place called Kids' Party Central, which is a party rental facility. The set up is working out very smoothly for Sunday mornings.
Phew! A lot? That's just a paint-covered tip of the paintbrush to this whole piece of artwork the Lord is doing in the desert. There are changes everywhere I turn. Work has been anything but easy. The lovely desert family I have walked into is going through so many new challenges. More have moved, some are moving, new babies are coming again. The Lord's processes are unending. I am so grateful.
I thought He had already defined Himself for me before I came out to the desert. how wrong I was. He is definitely uprooting any thought or preconceived notion that had/has established itself in my mind and heart about Him that He has not established Himself. Destruction has come to my fleshly understanding of things, graciously in the form of Love. He has romanced me, is romancing me, in a deeper way than I have ever experience. A deep romance, that has no resemblance to a love affair. This is a romance that my Husband intends to keep burning. He loves. Over and over. This is how He has destroyed and rebuilt. In love.
This does not mean it has been easy. OH NO. Or not painful. Having parts of you torn out is brutal. Sometimes it has me seeing nothing but sorrow and chaos. Yet. At the end of the day, He is the Overflow of joy and peace that more than sustains me.
There are many parts of this mystery we call the Lord that I have yet to even lay eyes on. But I know He is good. SO good. Not by our definition of good that often denotes wealth and "provision". By His definition. He is who He is. What comfort we can take in that! He simply asks us to look at Him, with single vision. He teaches us and loves us into not wavering at circumstance.
"Just look at me, Beloved one."
I promise more updates to come as the Lord desires. For now, be blessed and love the Lord, for He LOVES.
PRAYER REQUESTS:
- David and Margaret and their continued journey with the Lord.
- C3. That we would surrender all to Him.
- The desert in general. That the Lord will be seen for who He is. That His precious ones would sit at His feet.
- Work. My job is taxing, exhausting, and difficult. Please pray for the Lord's protection and peace. Also pray for my kids' hearts; that the Lord would capture them.
Friday, June 17, 2011
Long time...no post...
I feel like I should apologize for the long, overdue update I have yet to post until now, but I'm constantly trying to apologize less, so I'm not going to :-). HERE'S AN UPDATE!
A lots of wonderful and hard things have been happening since my last post.
#1: Church
C3 has been moving along at exactly His pace, which is so exciting to watch. We have a new couple who has felt led by the Lord to become a major part of C3! SO EXCITING! I love them so much already and am so excited to work with them. David and Margaret are from San Diego and Margaret actually used to be Shad's preschool teacher (hence the connection to the Salazars). They came out here for our Easter weekend to help and visit and felt stirred to come out here and help regularly. Since that weekend, they have at least twice a month to pray, serve, and seek God's direction. Long story short, they feel God is urging them to move out here!! He has given them favor with their landlord to break their lease, has provided a job interview for Margaret, and has been working mightily on their hearts. We as a staff are, and I am personally, so thrilled and blessed by the Lord's provision in them. It will be so exciting to see how God uses their gifts to bless the Body and further His kingdom out here.
Also, the Lord has provided a temporary (maybe?) worship leader for our services! HUGE relief for Mark, let me tell you. Justin has been playing worship at various churches in the desert for sometime now and is very interested in pursuing worship leading. He is planning on applying to worship leading school (I didn't even know that existed!) and in the mean time, helping lead at C3! We are so excited to see God grow Justin and grow C3 as we worship together.
#2: Community
Not that C3 isn't my community, but I'm more specifically talking about the community God has tremendously blessed me with alongside C3. I really am blown away by the faithfulness of the Lord. As I've mentioned before, He has led into this intentional circle of women, and men, who are seeking Him wholeheartedly and chasing after Truth. Everyday I feel more and more blessed and honored to be a part of this group, seeking Him together and following Him. One couple in our group is currently pursuing fostering and then adopting...AND THEY JUST MET THEIR KIDS THIS WEEK!! So unbelievably exciting. I'm not sure how much I should disclose, but they will act as their foster parents for several months before the kids become legally available for adoption. There are 3 kids: 4 year old girl, 3 year old boy and 2 year old boy. Nicole and Steve, aforementioned couple, have never had kids, so needless to say, prayer during this transition is needed and greatly appreciated. Also, they found out this week that the sibling have an older half-brother in a different foster family that may be up for adoption very soon that Nicole and Steve are praying about adopting as well. Please pray for the Lord's guidance and direction. It is so amazing to see how the Lord has prepared their hearts for these children.
God is constantly moving and changing in our community. A few different families are going to or have recently moved, a new baby has been born, a couple is getting married next month; it would seem as if God is stirring something, some change in all of us...preparing us for something...though what that is, I have no idea. God has been speaking during our time of prayer powerfully and is gradually unveiling all of our gifts; showing how they fit and work together for His good. I really don't know if I've ever been a part of such an intentional, honest community. I am beyond thrilled :-).
#3: Job
Sigh....I mean, literal sigh...out loud. My job has been a great challenge lately. Not a constant challenge, but a great one none the less. My honeymoon period with my kids is definitely over. They are testing me, pushing me, pushing each other and honestly, I'm not so fond of it. I know I need to have patience; things will get better with time. But that doesn't make it any easier. I'm consistently saddened by the way the kids speak to each other, speak to me, speak of themselves. There is some sort of physical altercation usually every week that I have to get in the middle of. Not anything serious yet, but it is draining. I would SO appreciate prayer and guidance with how to deal with the confrontation I'm facing everyday. I feel very limited in how I can tackle this situation, since I can't share my faith with them, but I know God is good and is using me in this position.
I also have to commute more than I thought for my job. We have almost biweekly meetings out of town, and by out of town I mean 3 hours away Irvine out of town. I find blessing in the time in my car by myself, but it is taking a great deal of time away from my kids and it's a strain on my car.
So in general, I would really love prayer for my job as a whole. He provided this position and I'm trusting Him with it. Even so, I can feel the ugly monster of aggravation and irritation pushing it's way into my mind and heart and I don't like it.
So! Lot's going on! And I still don't have a camera to post pictures :-(. But I so appreciate all of you praying for me and following what God is doing here in the desert with me. He is mighty and good. Powerful and strong. Gracious and kind. Ever present. Ever moving. And Indio is a testament to that.
In Him,
Lindsay
A lots of wonderful and hard things have been happening since my last post.
#1: Church
C3 has been moving along at exactly His pace, which is so exciting to watch. We have a new couple who has felt led by the Lord to become a major part of C3! SO EXCITING! I love them so much already and am so excited to work with them. David and Margaret are from San Diego and Margaret actually used to be Shad's preschool teacher (hence the connection to the Salazars). They came out here for our Easter weekend to help and visit and felt stirred to come out here and help regularly. Since that weekend, they have at least twice a month to pray, serve, and seek God's direction. Long story short, they feel God is urging them to move out here!! He has given them favor with their landlord to break their lease, has provided a job interview for Margaret, and has been working mightily on their hearts. We as a staff are, and I am personally, so thrilled and blessed by the Lord's provision in them. It will be so exciting to see how God uses their gifts to bless the Body and further His kingdom out here.
Also, the Lord has provided a temporary (maybe?) worship leader for our services! HUGE relief for Mark, let me tell you. Justin has been playing worship at various churches in the desert for sometime now and is very interested in pursuing worship leading. He is planning on applying to worship leading school (I didn't even know that existed!) and in the mean time, helping lead at C3! We are so excited to see God grow Justin and grow C3 as we worship together.
#2: Community
Not that C3 isn't my community, but I'm more specifically talking about the community God has tremendously blessed me with alongside C3. I really am blown away by the faithfulness of the Lord. As I've mentioned before, He has led into this intentional circle of women, and men, who are seeking Him wholeheartedly and chasing after Truth. Everyday I feel more and more blessed and honored to be a part of this group, seeking Him together and following Him. One couple in our group is currently pursuing fostering and then adopting...AND THEY JUST MET THEIR KIDS THIS WEEK!! So unbelievably exciting. I'm not sure how much I should disclose, but they will act as their foster parents for several months before the kids become legally available for adoption. There are 3 kids: 4 year old girl, 3 year old boy and 2 year old boy. Nicole and Steve, aforementioned couple, have never had kids, so needless to say, prayer during this transition is needed and greatly appreciated. Also, they found out this week that the sibling have an older half-brother in a different foster family that may be up for adoption very soon that Nicole and Steve are praying about adopting as well. Please pray for the Lord's guidance and direction. It is so amazing to see how the Lord has prepared their hearts for these children.
God is constantly moving and changing in our community. A few different families are going to or have recently moved, a new baby has been born, a couple is getting married next month; it would seem as if God is stirring something, some change in all of us...preparing us for something...though what that is, I have no idea. God has been speaking during our time of prayer powerfully and is gradually unveiling all of our gifts; showing how they fit and work together for His good. I really don't know if I've ever been a part of such an intentional, honest community. I am beyond thrilled :-).
#3: Job
Sigh....I mean, literal sigh...out loud. My job has been a great challenge lately. Not a constant challenge, but a great one none the less. My honeymoon period with my kids is definitely over. They are testing me, pushing me, pushing each other and honestly, I'm not so fond of it. I know I need to have patience; things will get better with time. But that doesn't make it any easier. I'm consistently saddened by the way the kids speak to each other, speak to me, speak of themselves. There is some sort of physical altercation usually every week that I have to get in the middle of. Not anything serious yet, but it is draining. I would SO appreciate prayer and guidance with how to deal with the confrontation I'm facing everyday. I feel very limited in how I can tackle this situation, since I can't share my faith with them, but I know God is good and is using me in this position.
I also have to commute more than I thought for my job. We have almost biweekly meetings out of town, and by out of town I mean 3 hours away Irvine out of town. I find blessing in the time in my car by myself, but it is taking a great deal of time away from my kids and it's a strain on my car.
So in general, I would really love prayer for my job as a whole. He provided this position and I'm trusting Him with it. Even so, I can feel the ugly monster of aggravation and irritation pushing it's way into my mind and heart and I don't like it.
So! Lot's going on! And I still don't have a camera to post pictures :-(. But I so appreciate all of you praying for me and following what God is doing here in the desert with me. He is mighty and good. Powerful and strong. Gracious and kind. Ever present. Ever moving. And Indio is a testament to that.
In Him,
Lindsay
Friday, May 13, 2011
About a year ago...
Apparently the last time I posted (yesterday) my post got deleted due to some website problems. So to attempt to re-post...
To give you a quick update, church is going well. God is bringing specific families and individuals to our church each week that need to hear from Him and it has been so encouraging to see His hand working! My job is tiring, but going well. If you all could pray for strength and patience with the kids I work with, that would be so appreciated. Some days are wonderful with them and some days are very trying. Also if you could pray for continued guidance with C3; that we would continue to seek Him in all we do. It seems He is raising up multiple people who are seriously praying about moving out here, or who are already here, that feel called to help us with C3. Please pray God would continue to stir up and piece together what He will and that His will would be done.
I just found this on my computer the other day and felt called to share it with you all. I think I shared part of it with a group of friends at APU. I wrote it a couple months before I graduated; for no particular reason other, it just flowed out of me and my struggles. Though I am in quite a different place now then I was a year ago when I wrote this, I am still struggling with thoughts of the future and desires to know where the Lord is leading me day by day. May this encourage you and may God speak to you today.
I'm sorry it's so long. love you all.
3-2-2010
There are some days, where I just feel tired. Tired of my race horse of a mind never ceasing to sprint. Tired of the world around me consistently revealing new depths to its brokenness. Tired of my persistent confusion in trying to figure everything out and make sense of the mess that is our society. Tired of feeling forced to plan a future I can in no way predict. So tired, I have no room in the rest of me to feel anything else. Today is one of those days.
So much pressure is put on privileged, American twentysomethings about to graduate from college and move on to a new direction in their lives. Hell, so much pressure is put on three-year-olds to learn to read so they can achieve the Ivy league someday. Both of those statements could be combated with many other more legitimate burdens that are felt around our nation and the world, no doubt in much higher degrees of severity. I’m not trying to invalidate those burdens in the least; I am merely trying to validate another. There is something uniquely suffocating about the pressure facing a twentysomething about to face college graduation, particularly twentysomethings who are wrestling with God and His Truth and how His calling of His followers aligns, or doesn’t align, with the life after graduation we are told to plan.
On the one hand, we want to please those we hold respect for around us: professors, relatives, parents, friends, hopefully just people. We want to prove to these people that our life that has been so richly blessed by the generosity and pouring out of others around us is not leading to a dead end. A plan is expected of us, thus we feel obligated to provide one. To prevent worry. To prevent more questions. To give an acceptable answer to the questions. This need to please results in this rush to plan out our next steps and next moves two months from now, even when we can’t see past the next thirty seconds.
On the other hand, we want to follow the passions inside of us. The ones telling us to live and love and laugh. The ones that call us to travel and explore; go on adventures and fly. The ones that maybe we suppressed for so long that we can barely hear their pulse, but yet they beat and that beat is undeniable.
On some proverbial third hand, we are scared out of our stylish and unnecessary shoes that if we don’t have security or at least some path to follow, the world outside of this collegiate bubble will eat us alive; scarf us down in one bite and swallow us whole. We are taught it is shameful, unacceptable and ultimately a disgrace to not chase security and safety, as our society defines it, and we are fools to do so. Passions are pressed further down and even more so Truth is compromised for this very chase.
On top of all of this, perhaps on our shoulders or more appropriately on our hearts, we are trying to follow God. A God, the God, who doesn’t fit into the arguments and pressures put on us. God who calls to serve, love and spread Truth. God who doesn’t fit into a growth plan or job search or grad school application. God who is so much greater than petty decisions we sometimes must or are pressured into thinking we have to make. God whose only Son lived with the dirtiest scum of the earth, calling them the most worthy of blessing and love. God who calls us to walk in His Son’s footsteps. God who calls us to spread the knowledge of His glory throughout the earth. God who calls us to seek Him. Period.
With all of this, on our minds and hearts…everyday…every hour…every second, no one could deny the fact that we are tired. Tired and stressed and overcaffeinated and trying desperately not to give up. But in some moments, we must just sit back and embrace the fact that we are tired. Let the exhaustion sweep over and consume us; rest in the dilapidated souls that we are and bask in the warmth of that acceptance.
The most beautiful, incredible, and utterly ridiculous part of this state of tiredness is that we can get up and move on with unshakable, untouchable hope and perseverance in Christ Jesus. It all comes down to this: we are tired from trying to make something of our lives. In actuality, we, as humans, cannot make anything out of our lives. Not one thing good comes in the control freak character of humanity, other than the space for great conviction. In our tiredness, we realize our inadequacy and inability to handle anything on our own. Thus enters grace in the form of the Blessed Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. Jesus who heals the weak and carries the burdens of the sinful. Jesus who rejuvenates the exhausted and gives hope to the lost. Jesus who opens the way for us to the life-giving Father whom can bring us to vibrancy. Jesus.
So yes, today I am tired. So tired, I can’t feel anything else. But in this tiredness, I am so grateful because I remember that I fail and fall and stumble over and over and over again. Yet God. Yet God, can pick me up and help me walk when I feel I can’t go on; gives me peace and breath when I feel overwhelmed by the state of this broken world we live in; can make the pressures burdening me into vitality that spurs me towards Him and Truth. And when my mind wants to quit whirring and my heart wants to quit breaking and my soul cries for the Lord to return this very moment, I am reminded of God’s unfailing mercy for restless beings like myself and my fellow soon-to-be graduates. His Spirit fills us over and over again and in Him we have no condemnation; no expectations to meet; no case to defend. His love is unending and His grace more than sufficient. All we need to do is stop and drink in, especially when we are tired.
Praise be to the Lord, God Almighty.
To give you a quick update, church is going well. God is bringing specific families and individuals to our church each week that need to hear from Him and it has been so encouraging to see His hand working! My job is tiring, but going well. If you all could pray for strength and patience with the kids I work with, that would be so appreciated. Some days are wonderful with them and some days are very trying. Also if you could pray for continued guidance with C3; that we would continue to seek Him in all we do. It seems He is raising up multiple people who are seriously praying about moving out here, or who are already here, that feel called to help us with C3. Please pray God would continue to stir up and piece together what He will and that His will would be done.
I just found this on my computer the other day and felt called to share it with you all. I think I shared part of it with a group of friends at APU. I wrote it a couple months before I graduated; for no particular reason other, it just flowed out of me and my struggles. Though I am in quite a different place now then I was a year ago when I wrote this, I am still struggling with thoughts of the future and desires to know where the Lord is leading me day by day. May this encourage you and may God speak to you today.
I'm sorry it's so long. love you all.
3-2-2010
There are some days, where I just feel tired. Tired of my race horse of a mind never ceasing to sprint. Tired of the world around me consistently revealing new depths to its brokenness. Tired of my persistent confusion in trying to figure everything out and make sense of the mess that is our society. Tired of feeling forced to plan a future I can in no way predict. So tired, I have no room in the rest of me to feel anything else. Today is one of those days.
So much pressure is put on privileged, American twentysomethings about to graduate from college and move on to a new direction in their lives. Hell, so much pressure is put on three-year-olds to learn to read so they can achieve the Ivy league someday. Both of those statements could be combated with many other more legitimate burdens that are felt around our nation and the world, no doubt in much higher degrees of severity. I’m not trying to invalidate those burdens in the least; I am merely trying to validate another. There is something uniquely suffocating about the pressure facing a twentysomething about to face college graduation, particularly twentysomethings who are wrestling with God and His Truth and how His calling of His followers aligns, or doesn’t align, with the life after graduation we are told to plan.
On the one hand, we want to please those we hold respect for around us: professors, relatives, parents, friends, hopefully just people. We want to prove to these people that our life that has been so richly blessed by the generosity and pouring out of others around us is not leading to a dead end. A plan is expected of us, thus we feel obligated to provide one. To prevent worry. To prevent more questions. To give an acceptable answer to the questions. This need to please results in this rush to plan out our next steps and next moves two months from now, even when we can’t see past the next thirty seconds.
On the other hand, we want to follow the passions inside of us. The ones telling us to live and love and laugh. The ones that call us to travel and explore; go on adventures and fly. The ones that maybe we suppressed for so long that we can barely hear their pulse, but yet they beat and that beat is undeniable.
On some proverbial third hand, we are scared out of our stylish and unnecessary shoes that if we don’t have security or at least some path to follow, the world outside of this collegiate bubble will eat us alive; scarf us down in one bite and swallow us whole. We are taught it is shameful, unacceptable and ultimately a disgrace to not chase security and safety, as our society defines it, and we are fools to do so. Passions are pressed further down and even more so Truth is compromised for this very chase.
On top of all of this, perhaps on our shoulders or more appropriately on our hearts, we are trying to follow God. A God, the God, who doesn’t fit into the arguments and pressures put on us. God who calls to serve, love and spread Truth. God who doesn’t fit into a growth plan or job search or grad school application. God who is so much greater than petty decisions we sometimes must or are pressured into thinking we have to make. God whose only Son lived with the dirtiest scum of the earth, calling them the most worthy of blessing and love. God who calls us to walk in His Son’s footsteps. God who calls us to spread the knowledge of His glory throughout the earth. God who calls us to seek Him. Period.
With all of this, on our minds and hearts…everyday…every hour…every second, no one could deny the fact that we are tired. Tired and stressed and overcaffeinated and trying desperately not to give up. But in some moments, we must just sit back and embrace the fact that we are tired. Let the exhaustion sweep over and consume us; rest in the dilapidated souls that we are and bask in the warmth of that acceptance.
The most beautiful, incredible, and utterly ridiculous part of this state of tiredness is that we can get up and move on with unshakable, untouchable hope and perseverance in Christ Jesus. It all comes down to this: we are tired from trying to make something of our lives. In actuality, we, as humans, cannot make anything out of our lives. Not one thing good comes in the control freak character of humanity, other than the space for great conviction. In our tiredness, we realize our inadequacy and inability to handle anything on our own. Thus enters grace in the form of the Blessed Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. Jesus who heals the weak and carries the burdens of the sinful. Jesus who rejuvenates the exhausted and gives hope to the lost. Jesus who opens the way for us to the life-giving Father whom can bring us to vibrancy. Jesus.
So yes, today I am tired. So tired, I can’t feel anything else. But in this tiredness, I am so grateful because I remember that I fail and fall and stumble over and over and over again. Yet God. Yet God, can pick me up and help me walk when I feel I can’t go on; gives me peace and breath when I feel overwhelmed by the state of this broken world we live in; can make the pressures burdening me into vitality that spurs me towards Him and Truth. And when my mind wants to quit whirring and my heart wants to quit breaking and my soul cries for the Lord to return this very moment, I am reminded of God’s unfailing mercy for restless beings like myself and my fellow soon-to-be graduates. His Spirit fills us over and over again and in Him we have no condemnation; no expectations to meet; no case to defend. His love is unending and His grace more than sufficient. All we need to do is stop and drink in, especially when we are tired.
Praise be to the Lord, God Almighty.
Monday, April 25, 2011
And the chaos settles.
How appropriate that last week was the windiest week we've had since I've been here in Indio. Seriously. Wind that was an effort to walk against. By appropriate, I do mean that last week, a storm hit both literally and figuratively.
Why God has things hit all at once, I don't know if I will ever understand. I can only assume to build character and trust in Him. Anywho, last week, a monstrous set of waves smashed into my shore. It was my second week of work. Can I just say I love my job? Because I really do. The people I work with are wonderful. The kids I work with are hilarious. The flow of the day is really relaxed. I'm just a big fan. :-) The last two weeks, however, we've been cleaning and redoing the community center for the apartment complex. Complete overhaul. It looks amazing now, but it was tiring to get it to that point. BOOM. One wave.
Last week I also housesat/dogsat for a family from our church. Let me just say, I think I now know, I am NOT a dog person. Yes, it's sad to say, and maybe the truth is I'm not a high-maintenance dog person, but really these two dogs were a try on my patience all. week. long. I don't know if it's normal for dogs to wake their owners up every two hours at night because they want attention. I don't think it is? But if I ever have a dog someday (or bunny, Pauline Ma) I'm going to train that thing to SLEEP! Especially if I have a hectic schedule. I mean, really. The last thing I want to do at night is be licked on, peed on, and whined at allllll niiiiiiight loooooong. Sleep deprivation. BOOM. Two waves.
Finally, this past week we spent preparing for our church's community Easter egg hunt and first church service. I don't think anyone realized how much work we truly had left to do. Praise Him, we had two mission teams come out to help us. One youth group from the Fresno area for a couple days (a jam-packed couple of days for them, let me tell you) and a group of older adults who came all the way from Knoxville, Tennessee. Oh these Tennesseans. Talk about sweet. There were 10 of them that came out together. They are all in the same small group at their church back in Knoxville. And they are just about some of the finest people I have ever met. Their humble attitudes, encouraging hearts and willingness to serve continued to touch my heart all week. Needless to say, their help and fellowship was indispensable. This weekend could not have happened without them.
My job was to organize both of these teams' tasks and communicate with them throughout the week. And of course also to help with whatever needed to get done in general, which was a lot. However, even though days were overwhelming and exhausting, God saw us through. The egg hunt went very well! We had close to 200 people come, which was the perfect amount once again for how many volunteers we had. Multiple families thanked us on their way out for the event, and I think everyone had a really great time.
Church yesterday also went as smoothly as I think it could have gone. We had close to 40 or 50 people including kids. Not many from the egg hunt came, which was disappointing but not surprising. To be honest, yesterday was very surreal for me and I think I'm still processing it. It's strange to be part of a church that has just started. Something hypothetical that has been talked about for so long is now an actuality, and it's kinda freaking me out. I know God has me here for a purpose; He has made that abundantly clear. Yet, that doesn't make any of this less weird and unexpected. Everyday, I still find myself in a place, geographically and occupationally, I never imagined myself in and I think I have not gotten over that shock. Yesterday was like experiencing that shock for the first time all over again. BOOM. Three and four waves.
With all the craziness of last week, Easter came upon me and took me by surprise. Really. It came out of nowhere. But yesterday, God did not fail to encounter me with His unfailing love. Right now, in the Bible study I'm doing with Kristi, we are going through the book of Hosea. If you ever want to see the heartbreaking, desperate love of the Father, read Hosea. God so longs for reconciliation with His beloved. He stops at NOTHING to draw us to Himself. He won't relent. Nothing is more evident of this than the cross. He gave up His Son. Flesh of His flesh for His beloved creation who spat on Him, turned their backs on Him, threw His love back in His face for the lust of others. YET HE CONTINUES TO LOVE. It brings me to tears. He is perfect. We are so flawed. And He loves us.
Be swallowed by Him today. He loves you so much, more than you've ever experienced or ever will. Give Him glory for He is the epitome of deserving. Even when the waves of life hit over and over again, He reigns. He is in control. He loves.
Why God has things hit all at once, I don't know if I will ever understand. I can only assume to build character and trust in Him. Anywho, last week, a monstrous set of waves smashed into my shore. It was my second week of work. Can I just say I love my job? Because I really do. The people I work with are wonderful. The kids I work with are hilarious. The flow of the day is really relaxed. I'm just a big fan. :-) The last two weeks, however, we've been cleaning and redoing the community center for the apartment complex. Complete overhaul. It looks amazing now, but it was tiring to get it to that point. BOOM. One wave.
Last week I also housesat/dogsat for a family from our church. Let me just say, I think I now know, I am NOT a dog person. Yes, it's sad to say, and maybe the truth is I'm not a high-maintenance dog person, but really these two dogs were a try on my patience all. week. long. I don't know if it's normal for dogs to wake their owners up every two hours at night because they want attention. I don't think it is? But if I ever have a dog someday (or bunny, Pauline Ma) I'm going to train that thing to SLEEP! Especially if I have a hectic schedule. I mean, really. The last thing I want to do at night is be licked on, peed on, and whined at allllll niiiiiiight loooooong. Sleep deprivation. BOOM. Two waves.
Finally, this past week we spent preparing for our church's community Easter egg hunt and first church service. I don't think anyone realized how much work we truly had left to do. Praise Him, we had two mission teams come out to help us. One youth group from the Fresno area for a couple days (a jam-packed couple of days for them, let me tell you) and a group of older adults who came all the way from Knoxville, Tennessee. Oh these Tennesseans. Talk about sweet. There were 10 of them that came out together. They are all in the same small group at their church back in Knoxville. And they are just about some of the finest people I have ever met. Their humble attitudes, encouraging hearts and willingness to serve continued to touch my heart all week. Needless to say, their help and fellowship was indispensable. This weekend could not have happened without them.
My job was to organize both of these teams' tasks and communicate with them throughout the week. And of course also to help with whatever needed to get done in general, which was a lot. However, even though days were overwhelming and exhausting, God saw us through. The egg hunt went very well! We had close to 200 people come, which was the perfect amount once again for how many volunteers we had. Multiple families thanked us on their way out for the event, and I think everyone had a really great time.
Church yesterday also went as smoothly as I think it could have gone. We had close to 40 or 50 people including kids. Not many from the egg hunt came, which was disappointing but not surprising. To be honest, yesterday was very surreal for me and I think I'm still processing it. It's strange to be part of a church that has just started. Something hypothetical that has been talked about for so long is now an actuality, and it's kinda freaking me out. I know God has me here for a purpose; He has made that abundantly clear. Yet, that doesn't make any of this less weird and unexpected. Everyday, I still find myself in a place, geographically and occupationally, I never imagined myself in and I think I have not gotten over that shock. Yesterday was like experiencing that shock for the first time all over again. BOOM. Three and four waves.
With all the craziness of last week, Easter came upon me and took me by surprise. Really. It came out of nowhere. But yesterday, God did not fail to encounter me with His unfailing love. Right now, in the Bible study I'm doing with Kristi, we are going through the book of Hosea. If you ever want to see the heartbreaking, desperate love of the Father, read Hosea. God so longs for reconciliation with His beloved. He stops at NOTHING to draw us to Himself. He won't relent. Nothing is more evident of this than the cross. He gave up His Son. Flesh of His flesh for His beloved creation who spat on Him, turned their backs on Him, threw His love back in His face for the lust of others. YET HE CONTINUES TO LOVE. It brings me to tears. He is perfect. We are so flawed. And He loves us.
Be swallowed by Him today. He loves you so much, more than you've ever experienced or ever will. Give Him glory for He is the epitome of deserving. Even when the waves of life hit over and over again, He reigns. He is in control. He loves.
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