Archive for June, 2008

Awakenings

Have you ever just been going about business on a normal day suddenly to have it all interrupted by the very serious question of, “What am I doing?”  I don’ t mean like, “Why did I pick up the stapler?  What was I going to staple? Why don’t I paperclip it?  Why is that sitting on my desk?  What am I doing?”  But more like, “What I am doing with my life?  IN my life?”  “What does God want to do with my life?”  It’s HIS life after all; I have been bought with price (I Cor 6:19-20).

I don’t quite feel at liberty to share specifics yet.  There is MUCH to pray over, but suffice it to say that things (call them what you want: desires, callings, burnings in my heart) I feel I have let become dormant over the last 8 or so months have now been stirred up again with my trip to Siegen.  There are scary, faith-demanding, exciting, and life-changing decisions to be made…prayers to be prayed.  Please join me, my brothers and sisters.  I desperately need the Lord’s guidance, and wisdom.  As my spaghetti brain gets to thinking of how one change would affect another, which would affect another etc., I need the Lord’s simplicity, and peace to overtake my mind, heart, and spirit in such matters. 

Thank you.

Father, how may I serve you?  What do YOU want from the life you’ve given me?  What am I doing?

“I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go; I will guide you with My eye.” Psalm 32:8

Later updated: By the way, as of yesterday afternoon I am volunteering at Kidz Blitz tonight, and I’m totally excited.  Also, if  you want to hear a bit about the mission trip first hand, the group, minus one, shared last Sunday night at Fusion if you want to take a listen.  I would encourage you to listen to Beau’s message, it’s powerful.

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Who Woulda Thunk

So, Monday afternoon I get an email from someone I didn’t recognize with the subject heading, “Permission to use Waiting for Mr. Right.”  I’m thinking to myself, what the heck?  What is “Waiting for Mr. Right?  I would never title anything that.  Is this spam?  Is this some virus that’s going to destroy my work computer?  Clearly my curiosity won out over the possibility of destorying the entire networking system at CHS.

The email begins with a few names I’ve never heard of, save the ministry entitled Family Life.  That catches my eye, and I think again of the subject heading of the email – Family Life is nationally syndicated, and the email said something about permission?  I’m reading on.  

In August, that’s right, of last year, yes, that would be TEN months ago, I wrote Family Life in response to a teaching on singleness, dating etc. that I heard on the radio from Alistair Begg. If you’re a single Christian woman you’ve read your share of books, and listened to your share of teachings, and memorized passages of scripture relevant to your situation too – you may have even taking scripture out of context.  You may have cried out Gen 4:1 “…I have acquired a man from the Lord!” in a moment false, prophetic desperation.

Moving on, “lemmie sumup,” thank you, Inigo.  I don’t know how or why, but Family Life sent my email to Nancy Leigh DeMoss, and it apparently was encouraging to her.  She then sent her assistant, the lady who emailed me, to contact Family Life to get my contact information.  She wanted my permission to use part of what I wrote in the email, and a poem I sent them in print and/or on the air on either of their two nationally syndicated radio programs.  Um…okay!

So, I just wrote her back today with my response of a humble, and excited, ”yes.”  They also are going to send me one of Nancy’s books for free….sweet. 

The poem and email were born out of pain, struggle, hope and confusion.  Who woulda thunk an email I wrote ten months ago in response to a radio show would possibly lead to this?! 

God is always working behind the scenes.

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Venturing Out

My long, lost friend Rob used to flip his phone open while announcing, “survey says?!” and hoping, as we all do for a missed message letting him know that someone cared. 

I feel that way with my blog.  So, it is now open to the public.  That’s slightly frightening, but mostly exciting.  So, please add me to your blogroll.  I wonder what kind of searches will lead people here…probably not ones relating to awkwardness….Casey….ha ha.  We’ll see…

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Auf Wiedersehen Deutschland

So I’m home from Germany.  I plan on posting more about the trip, and putting pictures up later, but for now just wanted to say hello to those who stop by to see if there is a new post.  Thank you for praying for me/us on the trip. I look forward to sharing with you about it, and hopefully I will learn how to put pictures on here where they look good.  Help, Amber! 

Looking forward to catching up with Casey, and Hun’s blog.  Got you covered already Amber.  And yes, I left comments.  Love keeping up with you guys via blog, since sometimes we’re not so good at keeping in touch other ways.  Casey, when the heck are you coming to see us?! I know Gramse and Grandpa would love it!  Shauna????  Amber??? This fall sounds good to me…Florida is nice in Sept-Oct. 

I will try and post about the trip at least by this weekend.  Stay tuned…

Just for fun, here’s a random picture of me, and my brother making a cake for Mom’s birthday 100 years ago. 

I could totally crack an egg better than him

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A Few of My Favorite Things

I bought a new camera for my trip to Siegen, Germany…in two days. Holy cow.  I like camera’s, and I like photography. I want to learn more about both, and be a better photographer.  After trips I always find myself looking at my pictures thinking of what I should have done differently, or taken more of that, less of this, or why did I NOT take a picture of that?!  Save for a few pictures that turn out pretty good, I never seem to take the time I want/need while in the moment of snapping. Anyway, note to self: pay more attention to what you’re doing!  I plan on having some good pictures to post upon my return. Casey, I’ve got a ways to go before I catch up to your skill!  Lord willing I will be posting some things whie on my trip, so please check here the next two weeks.  I’m quite certain I will be bringing my laptop and having wireless where we’re staying. *crosses fingers*

Besides cameras that capture God’s beauty, and Germany, the country and people I fell in love with last year, another of my favorite things: friends.

I am more than blessed with each friend the Lord has graciously brought into my life.  I am blessed to be going to Germany with some of them, and will miss terribly those I leave behind.  What a wonderful thing to love and to be loved, to miss and to be missed…”the greatest thing you’ll ever learn, is just to love, and be loved in return.” Thank you, Moulin Rouge. Even Hollywood gets some things right. 

Family.  Both the family God chose me to be a part of, and all those in His family.  I am going across the earth on Sunday, meeting people for the first time, and without doubt I know we will be instantly connected by the Spirit of God within us.  What a glorious thing! Family everywhere!  To know I have had, do have, and will have the prayer and support of my family means more to me than I can express.  That goes for both families.

Jesus. By FAR my FAVORITE thing.  The One who holds the earth in His hands, holds my heart also. The One who reigns in glory in heaven loved me to the point of leaving all that behind, not just to come to a tainted and sinful world, but to die a guilty man’s death though being innocent.  He came for me.  He died for me.  He lives for me.  I live for Him.  Joel Houston in his song “The Stand” writes it ever so beautifully.  “So what can I say?  What can I do? But offer this heart, oh God, completely to You.  So I’ll stand, with arms high, and heart abandoned, in awe of the One who gave it all.  I’ll stand, my soul, Lord to You surrendered all I am is Yours.” 

I have more favorite things, but this will suffice for now.  I leave you with the lyrics to “The Stand.”  May our life declare His.

You stood before creation
Eternity in Your hand
You spoke the earth into motion
My soul now to stand

You stood before my failure
And carried the cross for my shame
My sin weighed upon Your shoulders
My soul now to stand

So what can I say
And what could I do
But offer this heart O God
Completely to You

So I’ll walk upon salvation
Your Spirit alive in me
This life to declare Your promise
My soul now to stand

So I’ll stand
With arms high and heart abandoned
In awe of the One who gave it all
I’ll stand
My soul Lord to You surrendered
All I am is Yours

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