Why do we doubt the ability of the Creator of the Universe to provide a few measly dollars? Ahhh, it's a mystery, but I write tonight to say thanks for all of you have partnered us in this journey, and to say we have currently recieved 2300 out of 3000 necessary for our candidate school, and this we find out after purchasing our plane tickets 'in good faith'. Well shucks Lord, you caught us doubting again, but still you provide!
Our flight plan is a little crazy, but hopefully all will go well. Our tickets ended up costing 1050. Can I just sidetrack for a moment and ask how does one pack for two weeks in a hotel with two little ones when we have to provide everything.... yep pack-n-play, carseats the whole shabang!! Oh man its going to be a circus getting to our connecting flight with all our various stuff!! Aw well, people didn't always have these modern 'conveniences'.
So in preparation we are working on finishing up some more of our prep work, and checking out our packing lists etc. I'm excited. If you could pray for us and the journey ahead, literally the two weeks in Phoenix, I worry for the kids, and us as well. I mean hotel rooms aren't that big, and well I don't like my kids that much to be so close to them for two weeks!! I love them, I just don't like to spend all my time with them right on top of me! All this time I have been looking forward to having the time with Wes, and I so joyfully say I am looking forward to two weeks with him, and he says "not me, that's a long time." WHAT!! He laughs and says well we never do well in that kind of setting... dang it, I hate it when he's right, but I'll just be naive and think we're newlyweds going on a vacation with baggage, pack-n-plays, carseats, two kids, and the emotional upheaval candidate school is sure to provide! Eh, what's life if not interesting!
These prep studies have been really encouraging for me. I can't speak for Wes, but often God has provided the material to minister to me as I am in the midst of the battle. I have found myself quite humbled the last three weeks, with the amount of study and time with my Savior, and how He has revealed Himself through it all, and how much He has ministered to hidden areas of my heart. Too bad we all didn't have to do this on a regular basis, I think we would find less people complaining about life in general! I guess there's some truth to have daily time in the word with God after all!
Tuesday, May 26, 2009
Tuesday, May 12, 2009
John 15:18-20,22
"If the world hates you, keep in mind that it hated me first. If you belonged to the world, it would love you as its own. As it is, you do not belong to the world, but I have chosen you out of the world. That is why the world hates you. Remember the words I spoke to you: 'No servant is greater than his master.' If they persecuted me, they will persecute you also....... If I had not come and spoken to them, they would not be guilty of sin. Now, however, they have no excuse for their sin."
This verse keeps coming into my mind from our weekend. I keep thinking of it in relation to the various reactions we have had since sharing our desire to move overseas. It is hard to realize that while we believe we are doing the will of God, others look at our decision as a direct infraction against our responsibilities as parents, and as adults.
My friend Tori asked me to define the gospel and 'missions'. It was hard to do, but I am glad she asked. Lots of times I don't like to write down what I think because you never know when its going to come back and stare you in the face. If its just a thought in your head, well then no one can call you out on it. Friendship is being an ambassador. Loving others, and meeting their needs, is being an ambassador for Christ. Sharing the gospel through actions as well as words is being an ambassador for Christ. Judging is for God. While I may be asked to judge some circumstances or situations, I will never be asked to judge another person, for I am not God. Culture is not wrong, the heart condition of another can be, but like I told Tori there is no one true culture, and the only one true church in which I believe in is the church of Christ that I seek as a Christ follower. I will worship in a jungle, a mountain top, and if someday it comes to pass a place of worship of another faith (I found myself doing so at the SLC Tabernacle in 2004.), but I will never not worship just because I am in the wrong kind of building or the wrong kind of music, or the wrong kind of message is being delivered. So 'missions' is living out our faith, seeking opportunities to share the hope of Christ, being transparent in our pursuit to run the race unhindered, and doing so in a way so as to not cause another to stumble. But most of all it is our dependence upon God as He is the ONLY one who can lead another to Him. Me? I'm just an earthen vessel.
"If the world hates you, keep in mind that it hated me first. If you belonged to the world, it would love you as its own. As it is, you do not belong to the world, but I have chosen you out of the world. That is why the world hates you. Remember the words I spoke to you: 'No servant is greater than his master.' If they persecuted me, they will persecute you also....... If I had not come and spoken to them, they would not be guilty of sin. Now, however, they have no excuse for their sin."
This verse keeps coming into my mind from our weekend. I keep thinking of it in relation to the various reactions we have had since sharing our desire to move overseas. It is hard to realize that while we believe we are doing the will of God, others look at our decision as a direct infraction against our responsibilities as parents, and as adults.
My friend Tori asked me to define the gospel and 'missions'. It was hard to do, but I am glad she asked. Lots of times I don't like to write down what I think because you never know when its going to come back and stare you in the face. If its just a thought in your head, well then no one can call you out on it. Friendship is being an ambassador. Loving others, and meeting their needs, is being an ambassador for Christ. Sharing the gospel through actions as well as words is being an ambassador for Christ. Judging is for God. While I may be asked to judge some circumstances or situations, I will never be asked to judge another person, for I am not God. Culture is not wrong, the heart condition of another can be, but like I told Tori there is no one true culture, and the only one true church in which I believe in is the church of Christ that I seek as a Christ follower. I will worship in a jungle, a mountain top, and if someday it comes to pass a place of worship of another faith (I found myself doing so at the SLC Tabernacle in 2004.), but I will never not worship just because I am in the wrong kind of building or the wrong kind of music, or the wrong kind of message is being delivered. So 'missions' is living out our faith, seeking opportunities to share the hope of Christ, being transparent in our pursuit to run the race unhindered, and doing so in a way so as to not cause another to stumble. But most of all it is our dependence upon God as He is the ONLY one who can lead another to Him. Me? I'm just an earthen vessel.
Monday, May 11, 2009
Oy, not sure yet what this will say
Trying to think through what to write, and so decided I'm never going to write anything if I don't just sit down and do it. So here goes.....
This weekend a gal and I went on a little retreat. We rented a cabin in Red Lodge, Mt and prepared ourselves for fasting and prayer. The weekend went like this; Wes and the kids dropped me off at Kaitlyn's house, where her mom was making freshly baked chocolate chip cookies. This should have been my first clue that our well intentioned actions to fast were SO not going to happen. I held out for about 20 minutes, but seriously after the third pan emerged from the oven, who could resist? Not me.... scarf... oops one cookie turned into three. As we left Kaitlyn's she mentions that she put some of the cookies in a baggie for us. Right. Fasting, not going to happen. :) Her mom generously gave us some money, so we were able to go out to eat. Again I ask you any self respecting stay at home mom given the opportunity to eat something she didn't cook, and didn't have to clean up afterwards, would you be able to turn that down? Not me. Right fasting totally didn't happen!
Our cabin was great, and Friday night was a night to just unwind. We went for a couple of walks, and oh did I mention we were supposed to have a vow of silence? Oops, that didn't happen either! hehehehe.... We went out to eat at the pizza place in Red Lodge, and then walked back to our cabin and just hung out, prayed some, talked alot and played cards. All in all just what the doctor ordered. I confess to a moment of panic when I realized just how quiet, quiet can be! I'd forgotten over the last three years of young kids screaming, crying, laughing, playing with annoying toys! You get the picture. Oh and the bed was a giant king size thing with down comforter and pillow top, oh yeah!!
We woke up Saturday around eight and I read through John 14-16, and then after a meager breakfast, cause after all what was the point of fasting now? We buckled in for the N----------- half day of prayer. What happened throughout this time was fantastic. Why do we wait for so long to truly commune with God? I thought this over and over through out the morning. We had a great time praying, reading the Bible, and a excerpts from a book a friend gave me. It was fantastic and it all ended with being in the Mountains, journaling and praying for our own lives. During this time it was snowing, and I was in a fleece pullover, the sun was shining, and there wasn't a cloud in sight... pretty awesome fireworks by God just for us :)
Needless to say we had a great time. I wrote my first true poem in three years, and finally felt my self coming back into myself. Hard to explain, but maybe you get it. Obviously through this whole time the biggest thing on my heart is this move overseas, and to be honest with you it wasn't a big focus, because I had such peace about it everytime I tried to bring it back up to God. I mean it seriously went something like this.... Seriously God about this moving overseas.... nothing but peace.... So about moving overseas I was thinking maybe there was something more you had on this... nothing but peace.... hilarious really, I guess He wasn't getting the message, oh wait maybe that was me not getting the message.
Conclusions found this weekend..... you guessed it.... nothing but peace....
This weekend a gal and I went on a little retreat. We rented a cabin in Red Lodge, Mt and prepared ourselves for fasting and prayer. The weekend went like this; Wes and the kids dropped me off at Kaitlyn's house, where her mom was making freshly baked chocolate chip cookies. This should have been my first clue that our well intentioned actions to fast were SO not going to happen. I held out for about 20 minutes, but seriously after the third pan emerged from the oven, who could resist? Not me.... scarf... oops one cookie turned into three. As we left Kaitlyn's she mentions that she put some of the cookies in a baggie for us. Right. Fasting, not going to happen. :) Her mom generously gave us some money, so we were able to go out to eat. Again I ask you any self respecting stay at home mom given the opportunity to eat something she didn't cook, and didn't have to clean up afterwards, would you be able to turn that down? Not me. Right fasting totally didn't happen!
Our cabin was great, and Friday night was a night to just unwind. We went for a couple of walks, and oh did I mention we were supposed to have a vow of silence? Oops, that didn't happen either! hehehehe.... We went out to eat at the pizza place in Red Lodge, and then walked back to our cabin and just hung out, prayed some, talked alot and played cards. All in all just what the doctor ordered. I confess to a moment of panic when I realized just how quiet, quiet can be! I'd forgotten over the last three years of young kids screaming, crying, laughing, playing with annoying toys! You get the picture. Oh and the bed was a giant king size thing with down comforter and pillow top, oh yeah!!
We woke up Saturday around eight and I read through John 14-16, and then after a meager breakfast, cause after all what was the point of fasting now? We buckled in for the N----------- half day of prayer. What happened throughout this time was fantastic. Why do we wait for so long to truly commune with God? I thought this over and over through out the morning. We had a great time praying, reading the Bible, and a excerpts from a book a friend gave me. It was fantastic and it all ended with being in the Mountains, journaling and praying for our own lives. During this time it was snowing, and I was in a fleece pullover, the sun was shining, and there wasn't a cloud in sight... pretty awesome fireworks by God just for us :)
Needless to say we had a great time. I wrote my first true poem in three years, and finally felt my self coming back into myself. Hard to explain, but maybe you get it. Obviously through this whole time the biggest thing on my heart is this move overseas, and to be honest with you it wasn't a big focus, because I had such peace about it everytime I tried to bring it back up to God. I mean it seriously went something like this.... Seriously God about this moving overseas.... nothing but peace.... So about moving overseas I was thinking maybe there was something more you had on this... nothing but peace.... hilarious really, I guess He wasn't getting the message, oh wait maybe that was me not getting the message.
Conclusions found this weekend..... you guessed it.... nothing but peace....
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