Home is Where The Heart Is

Today was great. My body feels tired, and I've been taking naps daily, but my spirit is so full and refreshed even despite the ache that comes from leaving mostly everything you know. Haha I just read that over and laughed. I have a knack for sounding dramatic... Almost everything I know? I'm still in the U.S. for goodness sake! But you understand...

I'm sitting in my bed right now just enjoying the fact that I can't see a single piece of cardboard in sight. Of course if I got up and walked across the apartment to the spare bedroom with all of its boxes I would be reminded of the work I have left to do, but we're not talking about that right now. We're talking about Fayetteville, Arkansas and the vast amount of color this place is bringing into my life.

I've been trying to immerse myself in this place, and in less than a week I've learned a little bit about how to get around and a little more about all the best places to go in town. The key is having all the locals take you around. And oh, the locals! Never have I met a more generous and kind group of people! This church is really being the church. They have poured their time and resources into us and welcomed us as if we were long lost family. The town has so many facets to it that I feel certain I will not fully grasp it for some time.

Well, it's officially past my bedtime and I am getting sleepy. My husband is also doing something possibly destructive in the kitchen and I feel the need to look into it. I love that guy.

Goodnight all!

5 States in One Day

Georgia, Alabama, Mississippi, Tennessee, and finally on to Arkansas. That is what today consists of. Right now I'm sitting in the passenger seat of our Durango riding through Mississippi listening to Jonny Lang while David drives. I did try to drive myself, but ended up missing a turn and taking the "scenic route" through Birmingham. Needless to say David has resumed his post and here I am typing away on David's iPad. I don't think he minds anyway because the passenger seat is all scrunched up close to the dashboard due to the two propane tanks, suitcases, house plants, and the meat cooler in the back that holds all of our venison and beef on dry ice.

Moving halfway across the country is pretty intense I have to admit. It's definitely easier when you look at it in small chunks. When I look at the whole picture at one time my heart rate starts rising. Haha are we crazy?!? Crazy or not I am fully confident that this is what the Lord has called us to do. Tomorrow we get to move into our new apartment. We were just informed yesterday that it is actually brand new- no one has ever lived in it before. That got me pretty excited. 

I wonder what life is going to look like in a few weeks. I'm really excited to find out. When we do get settled I'll try to upload some pictures so this isn't so boring. Haha I know too many words and no colors isn't the most attention grabbing. Well... Here comes Memphis! I'll write more later.

Moving On

Well, the first leg of our journey has begun. The last several weeks have been a whirlwind of events, and I haven't even had time to write about them. For 18 months we have been waiting, searching, and preparing for what God has called us to do. David and I both knew that we were called to serve in the local church. We had no idea where we would be or what that would look like, but in obedience to the call, we gave Liberty University an 18 month notice. We committed to the Lord that in May, 2011 we would move on from Liberty and step into the next phase of our lives together.

January, 2011 arrived... we still knew nothing. February blew by... still, no words of clarity from the Lord. March swept in and out without our permission, April was just as rude, and before we knew it May was upon us. Still we waited. We fasted, we prayed, and we actively searched, but we both felt a calm over our spirits.

"Be still before the LORD and wait patiently for him; fret not yourself over the one who prospers in his way..." (Psalm 37:7).

"Even youths shall faint and be weary, and young men shall fall exhausted; but they who wait for the LORD shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles; they shall run and not be weary; they shall walk and not faint."(Isaiah 40:30-31)

We waited and we rested in the promise of our God. He always takes care of His children. We committed our plans to Him, and let Him take care of the rest. In the middle of May we visited Cross Church in Fayetteville, Arkansas. They had a need for a University Pastor. The goal was to hire someone who would build a bridge between Cross Church and the University of Arkansas. They wanted David to do the job. As David and I spent four days with the staff in the church, excitement grew. We both felt God confirming that this was the place.

But Arkansas?

Fayetteville, AR is 24 hours from Worcester, MA where my family is from and 12 hours from Auburn, GA where David's family lives. The goal was to move closer to family, wasn't it? We wrestled with this for a week, asking God to shut the door if He did not want us to walk through it. At the end of the week, we both knew that this was not only what God wanted us to do, but it was what we wanted to do. We walked through the open door God provided, and here we are in Georgia saying our final goodbye's, all of our belongings being somewhere between Lynchburg, VA and Fayetteville, AR.

God does some amazing things when you allow Him to. What is He calling you to do? Have you answered His call? Are you willing to wait patiently for the Lord regardless of the agonizing desire to take control yourself? This weak and insignificant girl is encouraging you to try.

From My Sister

Wow... It's been too long since I've written! God has been doing SO much in my heart and in my day-to-day life. Before I go into all of that, I really wanted to share this with you. My sister Elizabeth is one of the most amazing women I know. She doesn't have a blog, so I'm "publishing" this for her on mine. :) Hope she doesn't mind! I was just so blessed by her art of weaving imagery and words together in a way that so clearly shows what Christ does with His children! Enjoy!

• I was a wall. I was a hard, thick, tall wall of sin and stubborn wickedness. There was no good in me. There was no hope left. I was built and surrounded. I was the wall and I was in the wall. Cold, unfeeling, yet hungry and tired; impenetrable evil festered within me.

And then You came, and instead of smashing down on me with the force of your justified wrath, You planted vines around me in the greatest act of Love. Your vines grew up over and into me, slowly penetrating each foul thought, each wicked deed, each malicious motive. Mercy in its gentle power crumbled my defense. You ruined my wall. Instead of allowing me to lie a pile of wicked ruins, Your earth grew up around me and Your vines of salvation died to plant seeds in my unfertile soil. Though I still protested against You, though I continued to fall back into my grotesque ruins, You built me up.

• I am a tree. I am a daughter of righteousness, heir to the throne in heaven, and above all, Loved by my Creator and Father. Though sin battles within my roots, I have been planted by a seed of mercy strong enough to save the world. I am here to grow and to Love and to worship. My leaves dance with joy as the gentle breeze of my Father’s Word sifts through me. Storms come and branches fall as is His will, but He will never let me go, His strength is within me. He won’t relent until He has it all. I am Loved.

Brazil, Here I Come!!!

Tonight is my last night in my cozy bed for twelve days. Over the next week and a half I will be floating down the Amazon River (and it's tributaries) on a big boat with about twenty five other people. We will sleep in hammocks under bug nets while we travel. The Rain Forest is called the "RAIN" Forest for a reason. Apparently it's been dumping rain every day in huge quantities. Let's just say I am bringing a poncho! Everything I could possibly need including snacks and my epinephrine shot are in this little duffle! 21 pounds is all it weighs. I'm pretty proud.

In other breaking news... this is Mustache March. For those of you who have facebook, you can view many more of these beautiful portraits, but I will allow a sneak peak of my husband's face for the sake of a smile, and hopefully a chuckle or two. Ok, you might end up belly-laughing, who knows?

Apparently, connecting the 'stache all the way to the side-burns is the hip thing to do these days. Who knew? Luckily, this atrocious (yet somehow beautiful... a painful beautiful) facial design only lasted about ten minutes.

Well... less than 24 hours until we leave! I better get to sleep! I'll post pictures when I come home!!!

A Family Affair

Yesterday the girls and I (and then even David joined!) made donuts together! Here are some pictures! Enjoy!

This doesn't have anything to do with donuts, but over Christmas I found out that this pretty blanket made by my cousin is a throw not a tablecloth! It's been getting a lot more use now. ;-)

Also, this is the cake David and I made for Valentines Day! Isn't it cute?

Bright flowers and coffee make any rainy day enjoyable.

Our Inspiration

The music choice for the afternoon. So soothing.

Her excitement... also soothing... sort of?

Sissies

Let the flour fly!!!

Elizabeth gives two thumbs up.

Let's drop em!

The finished product! They were so yummy!!! 

Glorious Images

Last night was one of the most profound nights of corporate worship that I ever experienced. Being in an environment where everyone is on a similar page (Liberty University) for so long, I can tend to become numb to the amazing power of God and His Holy Spirit. The mysterious becomes mundane, and the Truth declared becomes "normal." The fear, the awe, the reverence, and the excitement so quickly wains when I rely on times with the church alone for a so-called "relationship" with Christ.

Church isn't enough. You need the personal touch of God in the every day things to experience the presence of Him. I have invited Him into my humanity. He has permeated everything I am. Every action is an act of adoration and worship to Him. Doing dishes, being a listening ear, making dinner for my husband, praying for my family and for those who He has laid heavily on my heart... it is all for His glory. This is the only way He showed up so powerfully in that emotional experience last night. He was not in that building alone, revealing his holy nature and surpassing worth. He is here now in my not-so-significant daily actions. He is just as beautiful and glorious when I am alone in my room on my knees as He is when literally 3,000 college students are shaking a room with their song of adoration.

I was standing in the midst of all that last night. I was in the middle of a sea of broken human beings who were reaching out to the Savior. We all cried "Hosanna" together in song, which means, "God, help us!" In the middle of this beautiful moment, the Word of God became alive to me in vivid images. It washed over me and I was paralyzed with sheer awe. I was trembling.

I saw the sky rip open and a legion of angels poured forth. They were led by the King of kings. I knew at once that this was the One my heart loves. This was the One I have been waiting for. He was riding on a white horse and was so bright that I could barely look at Him. His eyes were flaming with wrath, holiness, and perfection. A sword shot out from His mouth. A battle cry went up and a trumpet sounded in deafening power. He had come to defeat His enemy once and for all. He was coming in wrath and power and splendor. The fear of God swept over everything. The whole earth trembled and shook. A force I cannot describe with words came over the world and every speck of creation was knocked to its face. Even the trees bowed down. Angels were circling the King proclaiming Holy, Holy, Holy! They covered their faces and could not look at His glory.

In the same moment I saw the same King as a man standing in front of me. His eyes were gentle, but they pierced through every layer of my soul. They saw everything in me and I was fully exposed. Immediately I knew I had no right to even stand in His presence. He was so other than me... so much greater. I knew most of all that I should not be able to touch Him. Without hesitation he bent down below my level and scooped me into His arms. He broke through all separation. My righteousness was complete. I was perfect. I was healed. I belonged to Him.

"Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus, who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but made himself nothing, taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. Therefore God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name, so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

Therefore, my beloved, as you have always obeyed, so now, not only as in my presence but much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling, for it is God who works in you, both to will and to work for his good pleasure."
-Philippians 2:5-13

"Then I heard what seemed to be the voice of a great multitude, like the roar of many waters and like the sound of mighty peals of thunder, crying out,

"Hallelujah! For the Lord our God the Almighty reigns.

Let us rejoice and exult and give him the glory,

for the marriage of the Lamb has come, 

and his Bride has made herself ready; 

it was granted her to clothe herself with fine linen, bright and pure"--

for the fine linen is the righteous deeds of the saints.

And the angel said to me, 'Write this: Blessed are those who are invited to the marriage supper of the Lamb.' And he said to me, 'These are the true words of God.' Then I fell down at his feet to worship him, but he said to me, 'You must not do that! I am a fellow servant with you and your brothers who hold to the testimony of Jesus. orship God.' For the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy.

Then I saw heaven opened, and behold, a white horse! The one sitting on it is called Faithful and True, and in righteousness he judges and makes war. His eyes are like a flame of fire, and on his head are many diadems, and he has a name written that no one knows but himself. He is clothed in a robe dipped in blood, and the name by which he is called is The Word of God. And the armies of heaven, arrayed in fine linen, white and pure, were following him on white horses. From his mouth comes a sharp sword with which to strike the nations, and he will rule them with a rod of iron. He will tread the wine press of the fury of the wrath of God the Almighty. On his robe and on his thigh he has a name written, King of kings and Lord of lords."

-Revelation 19:6-16