tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-70041923221820660102024-02-19T02:15:51.796-06:00Dancing in the RainRejoicingComethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04219678117115738985noreply@blogger.comBlogger179125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7004192322182066010.post-8774585721174836482021-02-13T09:30:00.352-06:002021-02-13T09:30:00.271-06:00Remember...<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhaYYH1T4q_wHCQcm7BXcqK3GHR5E1nqqgGMYJT1KsMkP7pwRZhxiYorO9ZEFnTDKpZKvve-UQDII-ZmwHVCyDCwWLpxq3IkEpdN7YdBJSc3BgPhR65amMa6xq3vxrOK4T7emnWcrTgDOwD/s750/valentines-day-heart-hands.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="500" data-original-width="750" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhaYYH1T4q_wHCQcm7BXcqK3GHR5E1nqqgGMYJT1KsMkP7pwRZhxiYorO9ZEFnTDKpZKvve-UQDII-ZmwHVCyDCwWLpxq3IkEpdN7YdBJSc3BgPhR65amMa6xq3vxrOK4T7emnWcrTgDOwD/s320/valentines-day-heart-hands.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>Happy Valentine's weekend! I know for many single people this can be a hard season. I'd be lying if I tried to claim I've never struggled with some extra longing for a person to call my own around Valentine's! I've technically been single for 34 years. But, we'll only count the ones since I was old enough to think about being in a romantic relationship, which still brings us to like 20 years. That's a lot of practice at something when you think about it! As encouragement to all the singles out there on Valentine's day, and as a wrap up to this series on singleness that has been a year in the making, I thought I would share a few things I've learned are key to remember in this journey.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><b><i><span style="font-size: x-large;">Chase Jesus.</span></i></b> Really and truly, this is THE most important thing for anyone, in any stage of life, to remember. More than chasing dreams, goals, applause, status, money, power, attention, or even relationships, we need to be chasing Jesus. We need to be building our lives around Him, in every detail. I want to pursue the one who has pursued me since before I was born!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Marriage is not eternal. The only relationship that is going to last for eternity is the one you build with Jesus. Parents, siblings, friends, spouses, children--they matter and are important and are certainly worth investing in, but they are not forever. But Jesus... He IS forever. So wouldn't it make sense that I would put MORE effort into my relationship with Him than I put into anything else?! I do that by spending time with Him in prayer, worship and the Bible; by considering His desires in the decisions I make; by loving the things He loves (hint: It's people. He loves people.); and by reflecting His influence in my life through the things I think, do and say. It's about loving Jesus MORE, wanting Jesus MORE, than anything else. It doesn't mean I don't also love and want other things or people, but it's a question of where they fall on my priority list. If you want to read a poem full of honest emotion on this topic, check out <a href="http://rejoicingcomet.blogspot.com/2020/11/its-me-again.html" target="_blank">It's Me Again</a> from my last post in November.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: x-large;"><b><i><span>You are not half of a whole.</span></i></b> </span>Your life doesn't start with marriage, or even a romantic relationship. Your value is not found in anyone else and it can only be defined by the Creator. By the way, He determined that you were worth His very life! I don't think a higher value could ever be given.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">The only one who can, will, and does "complete you" is Jesus. If you do get married someday, the person you marry should complement you. You should balance each other in beautiful ways. But you will never complete each other. And if you are looking to them to complete you, not only will you be disappointed, it is a weight no one will be able to bear. An earthly relationship can never sustain that kind of expectation. However, if you place your fulfillment and satisfaction in Jesus, then whether you are in a relationship or not you will be complete. For more of my thoughts on this idea, check out the blog post that kicked off this series almost a year ago: <a href="http://rejoicingcomet.blogspot.com/2020/03/singularly-satisfied.html" target="_blank">singularly satisfied</a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><b><i><span style="font-size: x-large;">Don't settle.</span></i></b> This one could also be "don't let feeling lonely make your decisions for you." Or, "don't get so desperate you're willing to compromise the wrong things." Or, "don't be afraid to have high standards!" I have been told so many times by so many people, even people I deeply admire and respect, that my standards are too high. I don't take that lightly; I often go back to the Lord and ask Him, "Am I expecting too much? Do I have an unattainable standard set?" And, there are things that I used to consider important that He has gently crossed off my list (yes; there is an actual list). But there are also things I hadn't considered that He has added to that list. I'm not looking for perfection, but I am looking for a man who is chasing after Jesus with all his heart. The standard is high, and I will not settle. After all, I plan to invest the rest of my life in this relationship; I want to make sure it's worth the investment!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">But, sometimes when the loneliness is strong and the waiting is long, it can be soooo tempting to settle. Has anyone else ever looked around at the available options and talked yourself into being attracted to something that's just a little less than the standard you've held?? Please tell me I'm not the only one!! It can be easy to convince myself that this one little thing isn't actually a big deal. I'm really glad the Lord has protected me in those moments, because I look back on them and think, "what was I thinking?! That would have been so _____ (annoying, draining, relationship-destroying...varying degrees of not fun)!"</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">So I guess here's what I want to say: be willing to continually evaluate and re-evaluate your standard for a spouse with Jesus. Allow Him to make whatever revisions to your "list," whether literal or metaphorical, that need to be made. Just don't let what you can see as available options change your standard. When you feel lonely or desperate, run to Jesus. Not to a relationship. Don't settle!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><b><i><span style="font-size: x-large;">The grass is not greener.</span></i></b> Ask the married people in your life. Is marriage great? Sure. The married people I know are very happily married, and they love it. But if they tell you it's easier than being single, I'd question that. Both singleness and marriage have their own unique blend of struggle and joy, and neither is "better than" the other! Paul said his opinion was that it would be better for people to stay single; Solomon said that he who finds a wife finds a good thing. Believe it or not, they're both right! While single, if you're someone who wants to get married, it can seem like if you could just get there all the problems would be over. The loneliness, the struggle for purity, the desire for family and belonging would all be solved in a snap. But I have talked to lonely wives. I have heard married people discuss how hard it is to stay pure in our sex-crazed world. I have seen spouses struggle with figuring out where they fit in the world. Singleness is not a disease, and marriage is not the cure. Both are hard. Both have the potential to be filled with joy. Both are worth the battle.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">A key part of this is remembering that marriage is not the endgame. It is not the goal, or shouldn't be, at least. God's goal is not to get me married; His goal is to shape me to be more like Jesus every day. Since that is His goal, shouldn't it be mine, too? I want to be yielded to Him, whether I'm single, dating, engaged or married--to let Him have His way in my life in every season.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><b><i><span style="font-size: x-large;">Attraction is good, not shameful.</span></i></b> I recently had a conversation with some pre-teen girls. One of them was talking about a boy she likes, but she refused to tell her friends who he was because she thought they would then make fun of her about it. She said, "It's kind of embarrassing to care for someone." It made me sad. We live in a world obsessed with sex and relationships, yet we are also somehow embarrassed about it and seek to keep it hidden away in a dark corner or something. By the way, this is what gives attraction so much power it can pull us into making poor decisions! </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">We are built for attraction. As I recently said in teaching at 321, our House of Faith program for teens: God invented sex and He wired us to want it. It is normal to be attracted to another person in this way, and the fact that we need to yield that attraction to Jesus so we only act in accordance to His plan and design does NOT make the attraction bad or shameful. I think if we could normalize healthy conversations about attractions we experience, unhealthy relationships would automatically be reduced. If I'm free to be open about my attractions with a trusted Christian sister (and I am!), then it never holds an uncontrollable power over me because it is out in the open. But if I keep it hidden because I see it as an embarrassing, weird, or shameful thing, it's way too easy to obsess over it to the point of acting on it without properly evaluating if that action honors the Lord or not.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><i>There's more on this topic in my post "<a href="http://rejoicingcomet.blogspot.com/2020/03/sex-good-christian-single.html" target="_blank">Sex & the Good Christian Single</a>"</i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><b><i><span>Stop trying to stop expecting/wanting it.</span></i></b> </span>This one is a pet peeve of mine. The number of times I have actually heard/read someone saying some version of, "God will bring the right one when you're least expecting it, so just stop looking for it and it will happen," kind of makes me sick. Sometimes it's an accidental message--I get it, if someone is telling their story and "I just wasn't expecting it" happens to be part of the story, that's pretty innocent. But just because it's part of someone's story doesn't make it some kind of teaching point. We can't work toward being content in Jesus when we're hanging onto a thought process that says, "....so that He will bring my spouse to me." Yet we are bombarded with this mindset. And here's what I have to say in response:</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><b><i><span style="font-size: large;">Learn to be content and satisfied in Jesus because He is truly enough, not in some kind of twisted attempt to get a romantic relationship. </span></i></b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">On the flip side, as I mentioned before, there is nothing wrong with wanting to get married. I really don't think God is sitting in heaven watching you and thinking, "Well, I want to give you this but you've got to stop wanting it first." Like...what?? No. He's a good, good Father who delights to give good, good things to His children. Don't be afraid to ask, and to keep on asking, for a spouse if that's something you desire. God is the one to go to with that desire, anyway!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><b><i><span style="font-size: x-large;">Be fully engaged in "now."</span></i></b> Leslie Ludy writes about her sister-in-law, who was also an "older single," being asked, "Do you think that you are called to singleness?" I love her answer, and it is one that has calmed my anxious soul many times: "Today, I am." What a perfect response! I want to live fully in "now", today, this moment. I don't mean that I ignore the importance of investing in the future, especially from an eternal perspective. But am I actually investing in the future if I'm obsessing over the future? Overthinking about the future tends to lead either to fear or false hope; living in the reality of now brings freedom to just be faithful to what I know God has called me to be and do today.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Jesus loves you NOW, today, and He is in pursuit of your heart. You don't have to wait for another person to show you that love, it is already yours!! That is a breathtaking truth. I don't know about you, but I want to live fully and freely in the stunning beauty of that love and pursuit!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span><b><i><span style="font-size: x-large;">Who you are becoming matters.</span></i></b> </span>Becoming. It's such a lovely word because it's such an ongoing process. We never fully "arrive" while we live on earth. With it being such a journey, all the little steps can seem so unimportant, but guess what? They aren't. Every little step, every part of who you are becoming each day, matters. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">If you want to get married, be intentional about becoming the kind of person you will need to be. Consider what needs to happen in every area of your life for you to be ready to build the kind of God-honoring, healthy relationship you want to have. Are there practical skills you can learn or develop? Is there mental or emotional healing that needs to happen? How can you grow spiritually? What are some ways you can pursue the dreams God has given you? How can you develop constantly improving relational skills?</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">The time and energy you put into those things matters. Whether you ever get married or not, you will be growing as the person God created and called you to be.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><b><i><span style="font-size: x-large;">There is worth in the waiting.</span></i></b> I wrote a whole post about this (<a href="http://rejoicingcomet.blogspot.com/2020/05/worth-in-waiting.html" target="_blank">Worth in the Waiting</a>) so let me just sum up here: If you are only waiting because you want a certain outcome, you will be disappointed. All my life I have been told, "Wait on God and you'll get a guy/story worth waiting for!" I believe that there is more worth to this waiting than that, so I am countering with this statement: the waiting will not be worth it in the end if I don't find worth in the waiting. And <b><span style="font-size: large;">Jesus IS the worth in the waiting.</span></b> Build into your relationship with Him and you will not be disappointed, whatever else the waiting may or may not bring your way!</div>
RejoicingComethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04219678117115738985noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7004192322182066010.post-14000118300272015602020-11-27T09:30:00.013-06:002020-11-27T09:30:00.131-06:00It's Me Again<b><div style="text-align: left;"><b>Happy Thanksgiving!! </b></div></b><div><i>Or, day after Thanksgiving, anyway. I hope you all had a wonderful, blessed day yesterday, whatever your celebrations may have looked like!! </i></div><div><i><br /></i></div><div><i>Today's post is simply an unedited prayer that I wrote as a poem in March of 2018 and recently re-discovered when I was clearing out the notes on my phone. Since it fits so perfectly with what I've been talking about, I thought I'd give you a glimpse into the raw emotion that I often feel is best expressed with a little rhythm and rhyme. Enjoy!</i> </div><div><br /></div><div>Hello, Lord, it's me again, </div><div>Back in this old place again </div><div>Where it feels like all my dreams have come to die. </div><div><br /></div><div>The life that I thought I would live, </div><div>With a godly husband and lots of kids, </div><div>Seems more and more impossible every day. </div><div><br /></div><div>I want to be held in strong, gentle arms, </div><div>Be loved by a man who will shield me from harm, </div><div>Someone to snuggle besides just a teddy bear. </div><div><br /></div><div>I want someone to walk through life with, </div><div>To laugh and cry and fight with, </div><div>Not perfection but who is chasing after You. </div><div><br /></div><div>I want mud pies, hugs and kisses, </div><div>Little men and little misses, </div><div>To fill my life with chaos, tears and joy. </div><div><br /></div><div>I know it's the hardest job on earth, </div><div>To raise little people from the day of birth, </div><div>But it's the one I've always wanted most of all. </div><div><br /></div><div>I know I am not incomplete, </div><div>That You fulfill my every need, </div><div>That a family of my own is not the answer. </div><div><br /></div><div>But somehow, I just miss them so, </div><div>These people I don't even know, </div><div>Who have a place already in my heart. </div><div><br /></div><div>And sometimes I get mad at You, </div><div>'Cause I don't like the way You move, </div><div>But in the end I know You're only good. </div><div><br /></div><div>You know every ache and every longing, </div><div>The deep desire for belonging, </div><div>All my struggles and my failures, You have seen. </div><div><br /></div><div>You don't forget, and still You see </div><div>And You even love little old me, </div><div>And Lord--I love and want You more than all of this.</div>RejoicingComethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04219678117115738985noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7004192322182066010.post-28658080883017409362020-11-20T09:30:00.064-06:002020-11-20T09:30:00.135-06:00Sex & "the good Christian single"<p> Yep. Buckle up, we're going there. <br />This post might get a little uncomfortable, but it's a topic that can't exactly be ignored! And, as I said at the beginning of this little "series" earlier this year, <i>"my goal is to be uncomfortably honest, vulnerable, real, raw." </i>Besides, the world is talking about sex <b>all the time</b>, and if we as Jesus-followers don't talk about it from a Jesus-perspective, the world is going to shape the views and opinions of sex for an entire generation. Or two. Or more. </p><p>Let's start with some basic statements just for the sake of clarity:</p><p><i style="font-weight: bold;">1. Sex is God's idea, and it is good.</i> All through the Bible, from Adam & Eve being "naked & unashamed" in the garden of Eden (Genesis 2), to the graphic love poetry of Song of Solomon, to Paul exhorting husbands and wives to freely share their bodies with one another in 1 Corinthians 7, the Bible paints a picture of sex within marriage being good, beautiful, encouraged, and even holy. Sex is <i><b>not </b></i>some dirty little secret thing that shouldn't be mentioned.</p><p><i style="font-weight: bold;">2. Sexual activity outside of God's plan, marriage, is wrong.</i> I know it's not the popular opinion, but last time I checked the Lord wasn't taking votes for what the rules should be. However, to reiterate: it's not wrong because "sex is dirty"; it's wrong because it's outside of God's plan for sex. Fire is fire and it's pretty amazing, but there are right places to have fires and wrong places to have fires. Outside of marriage is the wrong place for sex. There is a lot of Biblical basis for this, but some good places to start are 1 Corinthians 6, Colossians 3, and Galatians 5. I'm not going to go into depth on it here because volumes have already been written, and the Bible itself is pretty black and white on the subject. If you have questions about this, feel free to send them my way!</p><p><i style="font-weight: bold;">3. If you have already had sex outside of marriage, Jesus offers redemption.</i> I want to say this loud and clear, and as close to the beginning as I can, because I want to make sure anyone reading this knows that there is no judgment coming from this corner if you've done things you regret in ANY area of your life, including sex. Yes, sexual activity outside of marriage is wrong; but since Jesus' statement to a woman literally caught in the act of adultery is written down for us to read, we are not left to wonder about what His reaction to it would be. He silenced her accusers, and then He said, <i>"Neither do I condemn you; go, and from now on sin no more." (John 8:11) </i></p><p>Just in case no one has ever told you, here's the best news in the world: God loves every single one of us so much that He made a solution for the sin-mess we created, which separates us from God, by sending Jesus to die on a cross to pay for OUR sin so we could have a close relationship with Him, both now and for eternity. Jesus came back to life after being dead for 3 days and now, when we put our trust in Him and what He did to pay for our sin instead of stubbornly trying to create our own solution, He gives us the Holy Spirit to live in us and empower us to live lives of freedom and victory over sin. If you want to know more about that, please feel free to contact me (my e-mail is rejoicingcomet@gmail.com) because I would love nothing more than to introduce you to my best friend, Jesus, the Rescuer and Savior of the world.</p><p><i>Okay. Now that the generic basics have been covered, let's get into some specific questions that need answering.</i></p><p><i style="font-weight: bold;">If I'm single, is it bad or wrong to have a sex drive/acknowledge sexual desire?</i> <br />Although I am 100% positive that I have teenagers in my life who *think* I don't have a sex drive (they're definitely wrong!), I don't believe an argument can be Biblically made that sexual desire is a sin. <i>What we do with that desire</i> absolutely matters, but having it is part of being human. If our sex drive was something that didn't activate until we got married, <i style="font-weight: bold;">nobody would be married, y'all.</i> Just saying.</p><p>In the same vein, we can't go through singleness trying to <b><i>deny </i></b>that we feel sexual desire. We don't want to give in to it, and so dwelling on it is not a great idea, but living in denial also leaves us open to a whole world of temptation because what is kept in the dark grows into a powerful thing that can overtake us. However, if we "live in the light" in every way, we are infused with the power of the Holy Spirit to resist the temptation that pulls at us.</p><p>One of the most freeing, empowering things I've learned to do is take my sexual desire to Jesus. I'm human; I want to be loved and touched and wanted in intimate ways. Sometimes it's a desire so strong it creates a physical ache. And if I either dwell on it or deny it, I get sucked into trying to meet those desires in superficial ways. But, if I will get real, embarrassingly honest with Jesus, the powerful pull of that desire is broken. Yes, sometimes that literally means saying, "Jesus, I'd really like to be having sex right now." And He just kind of chuckles and says, "I know. Thank you for trusting Me with that."<i> (no, not out loud, and that's not a direct quote, either. Hopefully you get the point.)</i></p><p>The second most freeing, empowering thing I've learned to do is to seek out accountability. You'll notice I'm not sharing any details of what my specific struggle with sexual temptation is. That's because 1) everyone's struggle is different but the principles are the same and 2) the whole world doesn't need to know the details of my (or your) struggle. However, it is absolutely crucial that there be <i style="font-weight: bold;">somebody</i> who does know. My best friend is the BEST at this; she is amazing at offering grace <b>and </b>truth (usually with a healthy dose of sarcasm). Yes, the conversations have been really awkward at times, but I have never regretted bringing things into the light through confessing to her. Again, when we bring things into the light, the power that they hold over us is broken, and the shame that we've attached to them begins to disappear. So please, I beg of you: find someone you trust who will ask you the hard questions and look into your eyes no matter how awkward it feels and speak <i style="font-weight: bold;">love</i> and <i style="font-weight: bold;">truth</i> into your life. <i>And whatever your specific struggle may be, know that freedom is well worth the fight.</i></p><p><i style="font-weight: bold;">Why does sexual purity matter?</i><br />First of all, the goal is not just to make it my wedding night still a virgin. I think purity goes far beyond illicit sexual activity. Purity extends to my words and my thoughts; the things I look at, read, listen to, dwell on, or imagine. It's less about making sure I don't "go too far" and more about seeking to honor God to the greatest degree possible in every area of my life.</p><p>Also, I don't know by experience, but I don't actually believe that sex is somehow more enjoyable if you wait until you're married. I think of it sort of like this: sweet things are good. Dessert is delicious. It doesn't really matter if I eat my cheesecake before or after dinner, it's going to taste amazing. Similarly, I believe God designed sex to be a pleasant experience and it probably feels pretty good whether you follow His plan for it or not. I know, I just shocked a lot of youth pastors and every church kid who ever heard the "wait for marriage and it will be better" speech. Sorry, but I don't see that in the Bible.</p><p>However, here's what I do see in the Bible:</p><p><i>Self-control is a fruit of the Spirit. (Galatians 5:19-24) </i>Which means walking in it is a sign of spiritual growth and intimacy with Jesus. Now, self-control in a sexual sense is not the only way to have and grow in self-control, I realize that. But it is kind of a big one. Side note: if I'm evaluating a potential partner for life, isn't self-control something I want him to have? Isn't his ability to control his sexual desires a great indicator of that? Just a thought.</p><p><i>Obedience and love go hand in hand. </i>Jesus said that if we loved Him, we will keep His commandments. (John 14:15-26) So when we walk in obedience to His word, it's a way of loving Him, demonstrating that love and growing in intimacy with Him. Nothing has deepened my relationship with Jesus more than faithful obedience to His word.</p><p><i>It acknowledges that I am not my own. (1 Corinthians 6:19-20) </i>I'm just going to quote the verse straight up here--"You are not your own, for you have been bought with a price. So glorify God in your body." The goal is to glorify the One who loved me and died for me, not to satisfy my own desires. It's also a humbling thing, and humility is another thing that seems to be high on God's priority list. (see Philippians 2)</p><p><i>It is surrendering to God's work of sanctification in us. (1 Thessalonians 4:3-8; 2 Timothy 20-22) </i>God is constantly at work in our lives, shaping us to be more like Jesus and building us into "vessels" through which He can love the broken world around us more and more. Striving for purity in every way is a deep level of surrender to that cleansing work.</p><p><i>Sexual abstinence before marriage builds true intimacy. </i>Okay, so, I don't really have a Bible verse for this one but it's something I've seen as I've observed relationships around me. I have friends who did not wait until they were married, and I have friends who did. One of the main differences I've observed in these relationships is that those who were having sex before they got married struggled more with real emotional intimacy, and conflict resolution. When you take sexual activity out of the equation before marriage, you have to talk through things instead of just making out to make up. This builds a foundation of commitment and emotional honesty in tremendous ways.</p><p><i style="font-weight: bold;">Does it get easier as time goes on?</i><br />Sorry, but...no. If anything, I struggle way more with the sex thing now than I did 15-20 years ago. Getting older doesn't make this easier. Remember that I said I'm positive I have teenagers who don't believe I have a sex drive? I know this because when we talk about relationships, sex stuff, etc., they will say to me, "But...it's so hard." As if I don't know. I always have to resist the urge to get real sarcastic and reply, "No, really?? I'm sorry, I didn't know that. Well, definitely, if it's hard, then just don't worry about it. I didn't realize it was hard, my apologies." <i>(I've actually had these kids say things to me like, "Well, that's easy for you; you're 'Miss Haley.'" Kiddo, I did not get some kind of special pass on the hard things in life!)</i></p><p>So, no, it doesn't get "easier." But, it does get simpler. It does become more of an ingrained habit. Striving for purity, fleeing temptation, seeking out accountability, taking those desires to Jesus--they do become something that is second nature.</p><p>To be completely honest, part of what makes this soooo hard is the tick-tock of my biological clock. When I was in my early 20s and would make comments about wanting to get married already because I wanted to have kids, people would laugh at me and assure me that I had plenty of time. They're not laughing anymore. That's hard.</p><p>I realized the other day that I am currently the same age my mom was when she had my youngest brother. Which means she had 6 kids at this age, and one of them was 15 years old. That's hard.</p><p>I also recently realized that given the fact that I will be <i>at least</i> 35 before having my first child (if I ever get to have any), that will make me <i>at least </i>53 before my <i>first</i> child is 18. I've had to let go of the expectation that I will be a young mom and take hold of the reality that I'm going to have to work a lot harder at being the energetic, engaged, active mom I want to be. That's hard.</p><p>And, I wanted to get an early start on having kids because I wanted to have a lot of them. "At least a dozen" was my standard answer to the "how many kids do you want?" question. I've had to release the dream of having alllll the kids; not that God is not capable of still making that happen, but it becomes less likely with every passing year. That's hard.</p><p>So I'm going to finish with this. To all the ones out there that push back against the idea of saving sex as something sacred for after getting married because "it's hard:"</p><p>I know. I hear you. It IS hard. I'm sorry. I wish I could make it less hard, for all of us.</p><p>But at the end of the day, when I push through the hard for the sake of honoring the One who endured hardship for me, I find this: He is worthy. And in the end, it's all about that.</p><p><b><i><span style="font-size: x-large;">He. is. worthy.</span></i></b></p><p><b><i><span style="font-size: x-large;">And He satisfies my soul like sex never will or could.</span></i></b></p>RejoicingComethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04219678117115738985noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7004192322182066010.post-10795823333311194002020-11-13T09:30:00.001-06:002020-11-13T14:56:58.866-06:00To my married friends: Please don't forget me<div class="separator"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiiXBSGVd__2j5Z3wUO7LRgJT3_q_i9LpNfnC8iSoGzmU_Yomza-27wLekM2sgNdFngXWGDC2arLcMlL6vzV3Dx9aIKMozU92Q8UYg7VIIQcY15Q4K8Zgo7W1TvLnmT2hMnUCdAaym0JiQl/s6000/_DSC0285.JPG" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiiXBSGVd__2j5Z3wUO7LRgJT3_q_i9LpNfnC8iSoGzmU_Yomza-27wLekM2sgNdFngXWGDC2arLcMlL6vzV3Dx9aIKMozU92Q8UYg7VIIQcY15Q4K8Zgo7W1TvLnmT2hMnUCdAaym0JiQl/w320-h213/_DSC0285.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><span><b><span style="font-size: x-large;">To all my married friends:</span><br /></b></span>Please don't forget about me.<div><br /><b>I need you.</b><br /><i>Let me explain.</i><br /><br /><b><i>I need to know I'm not half of a whole.</i></b> I know that none of you consciously believe this, but sometimes it can seem like that's what you think. When only couples or families get invited to lunch after church, dinner, game nights, etc, it can make those of us who are "unattached" feel a little less-than. It makes it super easy to fall for the lie that I will only have value to offer the community once I have a partner.<br /><br /><b><i>I need to know that marriage is not easy.</i></b> I can sometimes get trapped in "the grass is greener" thinking, as if singleness is a hard season to be endured but once/if I get married it will all be great! I know better, of course; I know that neither singleness nor marriage is easier than the other, that each season has its own difficulties and joys. But sometimes I need to be reminded, and what better way to be reminded than to get to see YOUR marriage up close? <br /><br />However, let me add: I do NOT need you to "sour grapes" marriage for me. Please don't tell me that I'm "lucky" because I "don't have to deal with XYZ." In case you either never discovered, or have forgotten, singleness has its own brand of "XYZ" with which we have to deal.<br /><br /><b><i>I need to know I still matter to you as a friend and person.</i></b> (This one is for those with whom I was friends before you were married.) I get it. You're building a new life with your new lifelong best friend, and believe me, I'm not trying to take away from or compete with that. I'm happy for you and I wholeheartedly support you in this beautiful, exciting journey! But if we're being honest, being cast aside like an old shoe you've outgrown while you "move on in life" is hard and painful. If possible, could you find ways to make room for me to still be part of that life? Also, I want to be friends with the person who captured your heart, too!! I would so much rather "third wheel" than be always left behind. <br /><br /><b><i>I need to see how relationships work.</i></b> I still hope and plan to be building my own marriage someday, and one of the best ways I can use this waiting season is to see what works (or doesn't!) in other relationships. Except...if I only ever get distant glimpses of those relationships, I'm only getting the highlight reel and that's not helpful. And just know, if you have kids, I'm also watching to learn how to parent the children I dream of having, too.<br /><br /><b><i>I need to be reminded that God still writes love stories.</i></b> It's a truth I know and hold dear, but the longer I wait the easier it is to get discouraged. You know what one of the most encouraging things is? Seeing real life love stories lived out for the glory of God. It doesn't need to be perfect to be beautiful!</div><div><br /></div><div><i style="font-weight: bold;">I need YOU.</i> As much as I need to be valued as an individual, I also value YOU as an individual. You are also not half of a whole, and you matter to me as a friend and a person. If I count you a friend, please know that you are a treasure in my life and it is my joy to invest in our relationship. I just...also need you to invest in our relationship. </div><div><br /></div><div><i>Please. I need you. Don't forget about me.</i></div><div><br /></div><div>Love,</div><div>The girl who is still single</div>RejoicingComethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04219678117115738985noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7004192322182066010.post-60379243808956910572020-05-13T07:16:00.000-05:002020-11-13T14:56:39.733-06:00Worth in the Waiting<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt;">I’ve always been a dreamy romantic at heart. My mom likes to tell the story of when I was a little girl and she found pencil marks all over a door frame in our house. She questioned us kids, and we all insisted we had definitely not been drawing on the door frame. As she continued to press us, the story came out: I was a princess, locked in a tower, and the pencil had been my “key.” Yep, my special talent as a child was getting lost in my own little world.</span> <span style="font-size: 13.5pt;"><o:p></o:p> </span> </div>
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<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt;">Fast forward a few years, to when I was about 11 years old. I was just beginning to think boys were more cute than annoying, the concept of dating just starting to appear on my (distant) horizon. And then my parents came home from a conference and excitedly told us about this “new” concept they had heard about: courtship. Now, if you don’t already know, the definitions of “courtship” range from glorified dating, to just shy of arranged marriage. My parents, having just discovered the idea, weren’t sure yet where our family would land on the spectrum. But there was no question: dating was out and courtship was in for the Miller children.</span><span style="font-size: 13.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt;">My first reaction was not favorable. I had just started dreaming about dating boys, and my parents were already ruining my chances at romance! But I have smart parents. Maybe they didn’t do this for the purpose of “winning us over,” but they started finding every “courtship success story” they could get their hands on and giving it to us to read or listen to. A few stories in, and I was hooked. These stories had the beautiful ring of old-fashioned romance to them, and I quickly fell in love with the idea of a magical love story. The premise was simple: be willing to wait for God to bring the right one and you will get a man, and a story, worth waiting for. What girl doesn’t want that?!</span><span style="font-size: 13.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt;">Now, I'm not knocking the courtship scene, I still believe in old-fashioned romance, and I don't regret the decision to wait on God in this area of my life. BUT...what I took away from what I heard as a pre-teen, and what I still often hear in teaching on romance, has a premise that is flawed. If I'm only waiting because it guarantees that I will get a certain outcome, I'm waiting on the wrong thing, for the wrong reason, and I will be bitterly disappointed. God's goal is not to get me married, but to conform me to the image of His dear Son, Jesus (Romans 8:29). And although I do definitely want to get married and hope that someday I will, it's not my goal in life. My goal is to know Jesus and make Him known, to be each day a better representation of Him to the world around me.</span><span style="font-size: 13.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt;">So, I'm rebelling against the premise that says, "When you get married, it will be worth the wait!" Because as the years have continued to tick by, well past when I expected to test that theory for myself, I have come to realize two things: one, <i>it doesn't always end in a happily ever after marriage</i>. And two: <i>I might not get married.</i></span><span style="font-size: 13.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt;">The good news is, whether I ever get married or not, the waiting is <b>already</b> worth it. I have a beautiful story to tell. A story of waiting and longing and learning and growing. A love story of a deeper love and intimacy than my little 11 year old self could have imagined, it's just not the one everyone expected. I feel like it's sort of the "other side" of the story, a success story that doesn't end with "guy meets girl"...at least, not yet. It's a story I love to tell, because it is the story of my Jesus, the Lover of my soul. I hope that it's a story that stirs others to love Him more because after all, who else is worthy?!</span><span style="font-size: 13.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt;">I'd like to propose this idea: <b><i>the waiting will not be worth it in the end if I don't find worth in the waiting.</i></b> </span><span style="font-size: 13.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt;">Now, I'm not saying that prolonged singleness is somehow better than young marriage. I don't believe that for a second! I think one of the greatest hurdles to this whole conversation is the assumption that one has to be "better than" the other. Marriage is not better than singleness, but the opposite is also true: singleness is not better than marriage. They simply are two very different seasons and God, in His sovereignty, knows exactly what seasons to take each individual through and for how long. (side bar: I'm real glad I'm not God! That's a huge responsibility.) So please hear me loud and clear: I am <b><i>not </i></b>saying that the worth I've found in waiting in singleness can't <b><i>also </i></b>be found in marriage. It very much can. This is just <i>my </i>story.</span><span style="font-size: 13.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt;">So what is the worth I have found in waiting on God for a husband and earthly love story? Let's see if I can find a way to put some of this into words.</span><span style="font-size: 13.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt;">One: I am free to love Jesus with my whole heart.</span></b><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt;"> Not only in the usual "because I don't have a husband/family to think about taking care of" sense, but also because I don't have a history of a broken heart. Pieces of my heart have not been given to a series of boys/men over the years. To clarify: if you <i>have </i>given away pieces of your heart, you can still have this whole-hearted-ness with the Lord!! Jesus is a Redeemer, Rescuer, and Restorer and He is more than able to give you a renewed heart if you will let Him!</span><span style="font-size: 13.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt;">Two: Loneliness has refined and focused my desires. </span></b><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt;">The Hebrew word for "wait" is <i>kaw-vaw'</i> and it literally means <i>to bind together (perhaps by twisting)</i>. As I've waited on God, I've been "bound together" with Him in ways I never dreamed possible. It has been in the waiting on Him that my will has become more one with His. Note I said "more," because this is a process I anticipate lasting all my life! I have a sweet intimacy with Jesus that is my greatest joy and most cherished treasure.</span><span style="font-size: 13.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt;">Three: Jesus is my best friend.</span></b><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt;"> I've been so blessed with a great community of people around me, but that doesn't mean I don't often feel very alone. There is a loneliness that can be soul deep, and here's something I've learned from talking to some married people: it's not actually peculiar to single people. However, we do have less in the way of substitutes to get in the way of discovering that only Jesus can fill that void. So, when I say Jesus is my best friend, I'm not being cliche. I mean it to the core of my being--He is my <b><i>best </i></b>friend, my ride or die, if you will.</span><span style="font-size: 13.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt;">Four: I don't need a man.</span></b><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt;"> Now, if you know me, you know that I am almost the farthest thing possible from a modern feminist! I believe in Biblical definitions of both femininity and masculinity, I believe the two genders are different for a reason and that we are created to complement each other. But we were not created to <b><i>complete </i></b>each other. I am not half of a whole! I am complete in Jesus, as I am. Whether I'm single or married, He is enough. Being single longer than I expected has caused me to grow in my understanding of this in some really cool ways, especially as I've pursued ministry as a single woman. I am strong and independent in ways 20 year old me wouldn't have thought possible, for sure!</span><span style="font-size: 13.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt;">Five: God's dreams are bigger than mine.</span></b><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt;"> This might be a "duh!" thing, I guess, but seriously: my plan for my life was pretty narrow. It was very focused on me and what I wanted, and instead God has given me a rich, incredible life filled with people I would never have known, children I would never have had the chance to love and influence, and adventures I never would have had by "following MY dreams."</span><span style="font-size: 13.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt;">Six: I am loved.</span></b><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt;"> Maybe that's weird, that I've discovered and lived and grown in this in significant ways by <b><i>not </i></b>being loved by a special someone. But then, I don't really claim to be normal. I have had the opportunity to be loved by a wide variety of people in a lot of ways because I didn't have a single person that was <i>expected </i>to love me in those ways. For example, I've experienced the protective love of my dad, brothers, and other Godly men the Lord has placed in my life to take care of me, whether by rescuing me when the car breaks down, killing bugs, or helping me hang things on my walls. Because I've been loved well by my community, I know what real love looks like and am less likely to fall for a false image of it. I also am not dependent on one person to give me value or define my worth, which is a trap I see a lot of girls/women fall into so often.</span><span style="font-size: 13.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt;">Seven: Jesus is enough.</span></b><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt;"> I know I've mentioned this in a couple ways already, but I want to emphasize here to finish. Jesus. is. enough. He is enough to satisfy the deepest longings of my heart, enough to carry the weight of my emotions when I can't, enough to give me value and identity, enough to take me on the greatest adventures, enough to love me, enough to build my life around, enough in every way. He is the Lover of my soul, and I don't have words for how sweet that is to me. He is the Center of my joy, and I can't express the fullness of that, either. He defies explanation, but it boils down to this: Jesus is enough.</span><span style="font-size: 13.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: large; line-height: 15.3333px;">And <b><i>He is</i></b> the worth in the waiting.</span>RejoicingComethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04219678117115738985noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7004192322182066010.post-9654429169219546132020-03-17T18:30:00.000-05:002020-03-17T18:30:03.038-05:00singularly satisfied.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3MNFy7SaMw2lyvVUjRWRzO8HzX21D7tGf1D8dVOR0qzP6Rjk6Rj_9dXwORGLXRjfi6s2grZQxgVOo7G91lsZoQ67g4abzciJDZCZoQ97OmZM4_u-J7eD-JfPpnCqh9zbtd-mGd0g9Hkll/s1600/_DSC0292.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1067" data-original-width="1600" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3MNFy7SaMw2lyvVUjRWRzO8HzX21D7tGf1D8dVOR0qzP6Rjk6Rj_9dXwORGLXRjfi6s2grZQxgVOo7G91lsZoQ67g4abzciJDZCZoQ97OmZM4_u-J7eD-JfPpnCqh9zbtd-mGd0g9Hkll/s320/_DSC0292.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<b><span style="font-size: large;">satisfied.</span></b><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Something about the word just stirs me deep in my soul. I see the world around me running at a frantic pace in search of satisfaction.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Commercials tell us this thing or that thing will satisfy us, books tell us that this lifestyle or that diet will satisfy us, we reach for this job or that degree or those relationships to satisfy us. But every time we jump a fence we discover that the grass is not actually greener on the other side. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">We remain unsatisfied. We even have a song all about how "I can't get no satisfaction."</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">I can't sing that song. Not because it's a 1965 rock song, but because it isn't true for me. I <i style="font-weight: bold;">can</i> get satisfaction. I am, in fact, <i style="font-weight: bold;">satisfied</i>. Deeply, securely, forever, <i>singularly satisfied</i>.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Why the focus on <i>singularly</i>? </span><span style="font-family: inherit;">I'm so glad you asked! See, I got the idea for this blog
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">As a single
person. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Again/still. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">My social media was
filled to overflowing with two basic themes: "I'm so lucky, you make me so
happy, yay we're in love" or "this is depressing, I don't have
anyone, guess I'll stuff my face with ice cream." And I realized that the
satisfaction I have found in Jesus runs so much deeper than either of those
things. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Don't get me wrong,
singleness is NOT easy for me. My life plan had me married by the time I was 20
or 21, with kids to quickly follow. I was going to have some, adopt some, and
by this time in my life definitely figured I'd be busy raising about a dozen
little people. God's got a great sense of humor, right?!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Also, please understand: I am not looking for pity or for praise from this. The Lord has been nudging me toward writing about these things for a while, and I've been dragging my feet. There is a whole world of voices out there giving great relationship advice, addressing using singleness wisely, talking about dating and marrying in God-honoring ways. </span><span style="font-family: inherit;">Soon I'll do a blog post listing some of those resources.</span><span style="font-family: inherit;"> I have no desire to try to add to what's already out there. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">But in that chorus of voices, I feel like one is missing. Not necessarily mine, specifically, but the voice of someone who is a little "older" and still single. Most of the stuff being written is either by married people, looking back and encouraging the rest of us that "it will be worth it!", or by really young singles who still have stars in their eyes and are in love with the idea of love. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">I'm neither of those. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">I also don't fall into the camp of women still single by choice because "I'm a strong, independent woman and I don't need no man!" Ummm, okay. First of all, let's talk about your grammar.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">So, here goes nothing: a brief series of blog posts, this one being the first; my attempt to capture the reality of life as someone who is single well past when she expected to be, and who really wants to be married. Preferably soon. My goal is to be uncomfortably honest, vulnerable, real, raw. It's not always sunshine and roses on this path. But even on the cloudy days when I find myself crying myself to sleep because <i>"I feel like expired milk"</i> (actual words from an actual journal entry, y'all), I come back to this:</span></div>
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<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><i>I don't live life for the sake of catching a husband. I live it for the sake of Jesus, who has <b>already caught me</b>. </i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><i>I have found a hiding place. It is a place of deepest peace as I rest in the overwhelming love of my Jesus. It is the place where Jesus calls me to come and die an ever deeper death. It is the place where I find that He is truly <b>all </b>I need; that I <b>am </b>dead, and my life is hid with Christ in God, and He is <b>indeed </b>my life.</i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Those are also actual words from an actual journal entry. Because beyond any doubt (and believe me, I have them!) my soul continually returns to a place of being, truly, singularly satisfied.</span></div>
<br />RejoicingComethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04219678117115738985noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7004192322182066010.post-50547034020501332472020-01-13T08:37:00.000-06:002020-01-13T08:37:25.629-06:00Dreams vs. Goals<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-fIu_NYmh5RJ9AOvntd2fr_8LZz416jSmyw3wZfO7VBzyTqXXmtfqERa0gBrb5oMPBsY-uINuHt2HgZ1nH0j2mgCrh2BWJRjPaYAdIALxHB31UAGIem18b9oTzQCHVqyrPGYaStzYACwA/s1600/_DSC0132.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1067" data-original-width="1600" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-fIu_NYmh5RJ9AOvntd2fr_8LZz416jSmyw3wZfO7VBzyTqXXmtfqERa0gBrb5oMPBsY-uINuHt2HgZ1nH0j2mgCrh2BWJRjPaYAdIALxHB31UAGIem18b9oTzQCHVqyrPGYaStzYACwA/s320/_DSC0132.JPG" width="320" /></a>Let's talk about dreams. And goals. After all, a little way in to the new year, that's what everyone is talking about, right?<br />
<br />
I am a dreamer. I always have been. As my parents will laughingly confirm, my ability to get completely lost in my own little dream world is pretty solid. Although I have outgrown the stage where this leads me to leave pencil marks on door frames (apparently, I was a princess locked in a tower and the pencil was my key) or spend 10 minutes washing one plate, I can still happily entertain myself for long periods of time with nothing but my own thoughts.<br />
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I like my dream world. Everything works out just the way I want it to there! In real life...not so much.<br />
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That doesn't stop me from having "in real life" dreams, though. I may have to wait longer than I planned or it may look different than I imagined, but I think dreams are important. Dreams keep us moving forward, keep us growing, give us purpose and hope. I believe dreams are something God gives us, and that makes them something good.<br />
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Lately, however, I've been contemplating the difference between dreams and goals. See, my dreams are good. But most of them are things I don't really have complete control over. I want to get married, have kids, see all of the children and teenagers I pour my life into walking with Jesus in bold faith and deep love for Him...there are things I can do to work towards those dreams, but in the end I can't make them happen.<br />
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Goals, on the other hand, are things I can control and can make happen. I've spent a good deal of my life "wishing I could..." with SO MANY THINGS to fill in the blanks. I wish I could speak Spanish. I wish I could lose weight. I wish I could somehow be on time, all the time. I wish I could--well, you get the idea. But these are things I can do. I can set a goal, put in the work, and make it happen. The fact that I can't speak Spanish, still need to lose weight and am so rarely on time is 100% my fault.<br />
<br />
And I think that's where I have to start. Accepting responsibility for the things I can change. Recognizing that if I want to get to point B, I'm going to have to do something about it. Jesus does amazing things in my life, absolutely, but I can't just sit around and wait for Him to build me into my dream person. That's where goals fit in. Goals that I can break down into steps that are attainable.<br />
<br />
So this year, I'm not just dreaming. I've got some goals to work towards. Thirteen days into 2020, I have already experienced both failure and success. I expect that's just how it goes, so I plan to keep moving forward. Keep taking those steps, leaning hard on Jesus and His strength all the way. I'm excited to see, not "where this year takes me", but where I take me this year.<br />
<br />RejoicingComethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04219678117115738985noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7004192322182066010.post-17830749783543791482018-08-22T11:59:00.000-05:002018-08-22T12:07:24.661-05:00Six Flags!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaRzwTAySM9HVtJxs18QXJ0BoXG_lXeh-pUDqSp_gGFAPCU7g262BVR2u35IHtwnt1Fopxg9cYze-KQFKjJZHjejghw4isq8OBZMfGCC3GqBZgCI7xgcQjamwHiuwS8r2vPqr7k9cPzS0t/s1600/IMG_1484.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1203" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaRzwTAySM9HVtJxs18QXJ0BoXG_lXeh-pUDqSp_gGFAPCU7g262BVR2u35IHtwnt1Fopxg9cYze-KQFKjJZHjejghw4isq8OBZMfGCC3GqBZgCI7xgcQjamwHiuwS8r2vPqr7k9cPzS0t/s320/IMG_1484.JPG" width="320" /></a><span style="font-size: small;">Some would no doubt consider it a strange "Sabbath kick-off", but for me a trip to Six Flags Over Texas (in Arlington) was just the ticket! Between my love of roller coasters, the nostalgia this place holds, and the healthy benefits of fresh air and sunshine, it was fantastic. Oh, and the company was pretty great, too. The only thing that could have made it better would have been to have my "OG Six Flags fam" along--aka, my family and the Vests, of course!</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;">Six Flags has always been about facing and overcoming fear for me. I was a very fearful/timid child, and as an adult looking back I think one of the best things my parents did for my little anxious self was take me to ride roller coasters!! </span><span style="font-size: x-small;">(I would insert the "tears of joy" emoji here if I could!)</span> <span style="font-size: small;">I was coaxed and cajoled on to rides I was hesitant about, but never forced to ride anything--though I waited in every line with them and I was not allowed to complain. Every year, there were rides where I would choose to step across and wait while my family rode without me. But almost every year, I would let myself get talked on to one more than the year before...and so, slowly but surely, I built up my roller coaster portfolio. Who knows, one day they may even successfully get me back on the Shockwave!</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiusvVqP359SSO503HV66SQeeHsixNc6F0m9PEWbFDgwOgr8iZbYi791zVpqRVTd2QhAiPSxjvWegSqnjdC28MDKtelUocNJ5bOkeXOx4xD3Cl-xtcB_Yzn5Y1Je8BR8MbPx_sRNyl3xIH0/s1600/IMG_1487.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1203" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiusvVqP359SSO503HV66SQeeHsixNc6F0m9PEWbFDgwOgr8iZbYi791zVpqRVTd2QhAiPSxjvWegSqnjdC28MDKtelUocNJ5bOkeXOx4xD3Cl-xtcB_Yzn5Y1Je8BR8MbPx_sRNyl3xIH0/s320/IMG_1487.JPG" width="320" /></a><span style="font-size: small;">This year, as we climbed into our seats to ride the "new" (vastly improved!!) Texas Giant, I flashed back to a childhood memory. I don't remember how old I was, maybe 11?? The night before our annual trip to Six Flags (home school day!), I was battling some serious anxiety about riding the "big" roller coasters. Suddenly, from somewhere in my memory, a verse popped in to my head--"Lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age."</span> <span style="font-size: x-small;">(yes, all my childhood memory verses are KJV) <span style="font-size: small;">Now, I'm aware that applying this to roller coaster riding is taking the verse way out of context. Jesus said it to His disciples in the context of evangelism <span style="font-size: x-small;">(the Great Commission in Matthew 28:18-20)</span>. However, since I'm pretty sure He is actually with me even on a roller coaster, I would say the principle still applies. And, it sure brought a lot of comfort to my little freaked out heart!! The next day, as we got on ride after ride, I would quote that verse to myself all the way up the first hill and let it run through my head over and over as we sped along at breakneck speed around death-defying curves and down stomach-dropping hills. It turned riding a roller coaster into a faith-building event for me!</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-size: small;">Lately, life has felt like a roller coaster. Spiritual highs and lows, emotional ups and downs...everything has felt really out of control and scary. I needed to ride some actual roller coasters to be reminded of a few things. </span></span><br />
<ol><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNQma1utjh_dhnwlvT71hIB3IHc_EKhBXcIZ8yCidFEEqTged7YDaXJNWdBbZeMIgqHbnDrDomsB1Mo-xhQFpfibktrV99tdW2JzKJ43G3OWyv8Yd5CA4Y4yQ3mExkpqlj_sL8oBDEu8vR/s1600/IMG_1485.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"></a>
<li><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-size: small;"> <b>Jesus is still with me</b>. Whether He "feels" close or far away, He has promised to be with me always and that's a truth that never changes. </span></span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>Roller coasters are exciting BECAUSE they're scary</b>. But you know that you'll survive <span style="font-size: x-small;">(at least, most likely)</span>. When life feels out of control, I need to remember that it is never outside of what God can control. Just like I trust the seat belt/lap bar/track of a roller coaster to keep the danger to a reasonable limit, if I will just trust in God's control over my life I could actually <i><u>enjoy</u> </i>the crazy twists, turns, ups and downs that are part of life's adventure.</span></span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>Roller coasters are best enjoyed with friends</b>. There were a couple of rides that I really wanted to ride again, but no one else did. They would have been happy to wait for me while I rode again by myself, but I realized: I'm not a <i>"ride a roller coaster alone"</i> kind of person. Except...I have been. I've been riding the roller coaster life has had me on mostly by myself. No wonder it hasn't been fun! The Lord reminded me, "I've given you a community for a reason!" I'm still figuring this thing out, but I'm learning that when I invite deeply trusted individuals onto my crazy little ride, it becomes a lot better.</span></span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>Sometimes, it's good to slow down a little</b>. For all my love of adrenaline-pumping roller coaster craziness, one of my favorite things at Six Flags is the Gunslinger. This is the "swing ride", where you buckle into a swing and go in circles that get increasingly higher, then slowly lower you back to earth. It's a sweet few minutes of just relaxing, feeling the wind in your hair, and enjoying the beautiful view you get from up in the air. Sometimes, I need to intentionally hit the pause button on life and settle in to rest in Jesus, and let Him give me His perspective on life. My life, specifically. It's actually kind of a breathtaking view, because it's all painted in the rich hues of His immeasurable grace and kindness. </span></span></li>
</ol>
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-size: small;">So, now that I have waaaay over-spiritualized an amusement park...let me wrap up with my top 5 rides of Six Flags Over Texas in Arlington:</span></span><br />
<ol>
<li><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>The "new" Texas Giant</b>. Oh, my goodness!! The improvements are incredible! It doesn't make you feel like your brains are going to be rattled right out of your head anymore, for one thing, and there are some fun little additions near the end. This was the last thing we rode, and if everyone hadn't been so tired already we would have ridden it multiple times!!</span></span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>Batman the Ride</b>. This is one of those that I resisted riding for awhile, until one year when my sister didn't get to come and my brothers (including my "extra" brother, Michael Vest) talked me into riding it "for Amber". Let's just say, I rode it twice that year and I've never looked back!! This is one of the smoothest, coolest rides... and I kind of love watching my feet dangle.</span></span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>Runaway Mountain</b>. I'm pretty sure this is the first ride I ever rode with my eyes open...because it's in the dark so you can't see anything, anyway!!</span></span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>La Vibora</b>. It used to be the "Bobsled", until they got serious about naming the rides to match the "country" they are in, so since it's in Spain it needed a Spanish name! This is the one that only has an actual track for parts of the ride, so you fly around corners bobsled style.</span></span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>Hall of Justice: Battle for Metropolis</b>. This is one of those interactive game type rides, where the car you sit in doesn't really move very much and you have a "gun" and you get to shoot at the bad guys. It's fantastic! Who wouldn't love to help Superman and Batman take down Lex Luther and the Joker, right?!</span></span></li>
</ol>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuR0JsNHZJSsdHJkP52sYchWJslsKXr3Z7Q22meIKXaohQoIyk7K_Gy6BAl-Cj5dp2Yxo6bz2x0VERLV4qyiW80hIQeN0R77jzcOTA8g1Ll-ltDOi0yZ-8phBaZO3hrvQiYOFH01ROhL8P/s1600/IMG_1485.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuR0JsNHZJSsdHJkP52sYchWJslsKXr3Z7Q22meIKXaohQoIyk7K_Gy6BAl-Cj5dp2Yxo6bz2x0VERLV4qyiW80hIQeN0R77jzcOTA8g1Ll-ltDOi0yZ-8phBaZO3hrvQiYOFH01ROhL8P/s320/IMG_1485.JPG" width="320" /></a></span></span></div>
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<i><span style="font-size: x-small;">(all photo credits to Marci Menchaca, because I managed to forget to take any...)</span></i></div>
RejoicingComethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04219678117115738985noreply@blogger.com02201 E Road to Six Flags St, Arlington, TX 76010, USA32.7551732 -97.0711714000000267.2331387000000014 -138.37976540000003 58.277207700000005 -55.762577400000026tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7004192322182066010.post-55420209875773122142018-08-14T08:30:00.000-05:002018-08-14T08:30:07.188-05:00No Battle Plan...<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjp-YvC4TqmmlYqU-N5_2yWfCdNBr_EbXzK6nRJFQSW8LDxLw8ZJxpgzNALUgvErleBZKlp-TruZPTT3bOEHWYB4-7cWBj3ZZr3dRG0lqgLlDPDsWtflrNyICxIa390sUEP4Q5WWOS8apl5/s1600/ocean+splash.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1478" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjp-YvC4TqmmlYqU-N5_2yWfCdNBr_EbXzK6nRJFQSW8LDxLw8ZJxpgzNALUgvErleBZKlp-TruZPTT3bOEHWYB4-7cWBj3ZZr3dRG0lqgLlDPDsWtflrNyICxIa390sUEP4Q5WWOS8apl5/s320/ocean+splash.jpg" width="295" /></a></div>
<b>"No battle plan survives contact with the enemy." </b></div>
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<i>--Helmuth von Moltke the Elder</i> <br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>(Chief of Staff of the Prussian army before World War 1)</i></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-size: small;">Well, so much for posting once a week! Although, I suppose if I had really thought about it I would have realized that right at the beginning of summer was not the time to take on that lofty goal.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-size: small;">It was a busy summer, as per usual, and there was a grand finale of camp directly followed by a mission trip. Y'all, I'm not as young as I once was, and those 2 weeks back-to-back just about did me in!! However, they were great weeks and the Lord moved and worked and did great things, so it was TOTALLY worth it! </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-size: small;">But now, it's August. This is the month where everyone at House of Faith takes a step back and just breathes for a little while. It's the only month of the year where we don't have programs, so everyone takes vacation during this month. And even when we are at work, it's nice and quiet and slow. Can you tell I love August?!</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-size: small;">This year, sometime during the summer I felt the Lord leading me to make August a Sabbath month. Instead of just taking time off work and using it to sleep, catch up on other "life stuff", and binge watch Netflix, He seemed to want me to set the month aside to Him. This also meant taking the month off from doing ministry-related things at church. At first I thought, "Sure! Great! I am exhausted and some extra down time will be just the thing!" I am so naive sometimes.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-size: small;">August began to draw closer and I began to realize all the implications of being away from youth group and other church things, and taking the largest chunk of time off work I've ever taken (2 solid weeks in a row; basically, I've only saved enough vacations days for Carmela's wedding and my Thanksgiving trip to Tennessee). This was not going to be the fun cake walk I had originally envisioned! It's hard for me to step back, relinquish control, let other people do things I normally do and fill roles I normally fill...but, as I am learning, that is the very reason Jesus has asked me to do just exactly those things.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-size: small;">So now we're two weeks in to this month, and the Lord has been at work in my heart. I'm still processing things, figuring out how to put them in to words, but as I do you can certainly expect to see some of them here! </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-size: small;">When I started this Sabbath August, I had a picture in my head of what it would look like. I had a basic plan of what I would do and when. That picture is long-forgotten, and that plan didn't survive contact with the enemy any better than the "I'm going to blog once a week" plan did. But the picture and the plan that the Lord is unfolding is so much better than mine, anyway, so I'm not sad. </span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-size: small;">I'm just excited to be walking this road with Jesus, and I hope that maybe you'll join me!</span><i> </i></span></div>
RejoicingComethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04219678117115738985noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7004192322182066010.post-8905097708824468732018-06-01T09:30:00.000-05:002018-06-01T09:30:03.880-05:00Reboot<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_I7uE__KEuwvX5aTSdefLCO9g0KvC4Lp7Umx4eYVjrpU8_xfUN3LeCVzSLKfoLGzjrTGzDCa5pZAjGftvQeH-qCo3RYtwiuc-WidZWDsvj7AuI6oIvpQsRmGzyotHbh4UUXMkI7EyAbmt/s1600/IMG_6612.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_I7uE__KEuwvX5aTSdefLCO9g0KvC4Lp7Umx4eYVjrpU8_xfUN3LeCVzSLKfoLGzjrTGzDCa5pZAjGftvQeH-qCo3RYtwiuc-WidZWDsvj7AuI6oIvpQsRmGzyotHbh4UUXMkI7EyAbmt/s320/IMG_6612.JPG" width="240" /></a>It's been exactly 4 years since my last blog post.<br />
What?! Where has the time gone?!<br />
<br />
Life has been busy, and as I look back I'm really sad that writing is one of the things I let fall by the wayside. Lately, the Lord has been stirring in my heart, reawakening dreams and passions that have been buried too long by the "tyranny of the urgent". Writing is one of those things, and this blog in particular. I want to be more intentional with the blog than I was before, although I don't have a really clear picture yet of what that will look like. I'm starting with a simple goal of posting at least once a week!<br />
<br />
<br />
Reboot: the dictionary definition says "<span class="css-4x41l7 e10vl5dg6">to make a change in (something) in order to establish a new beginning". That sounds about right! The new design is more simple and focused than it used to be, which is indicative of where I want to go with it moving forward.</span><br />
<span class="css-4x41l7 e10vl5dg6"><br /></span>
<span class="css-4x41l7 e10vl5dg6">For this post, let me just give you a snapshot view of my life as it is now (because let's be real: catching up on 4 years is going to be impossible!). Basically these things fall into two categories, things that have changed and things that have not. Also, you'll notice a heavy emphasis on the people that fill my life...I am still a people-oriented person, for sure, and it's probably good to introduce these people to you as I am sure they will show up in future blog posts!</span><br />
<span class="css-4x41l7 e10vl5dg6"><br /></span>
<span class="css-4x41l7 e10vl5dg6"></span><br />
<span class="css-4x41l7 e10vl5dg6">I moved out of my parent's house a year ago! It was a weird feeling, but it was a good transition. I am so grateful for my amazing parents and all the ways they continue to take care of and support me!! I now rent a cute little brick house in town, really close to House of Faith (where I still work). I am still single, I have a charming roommate named Carmela who is a great friend as well as a coworker. We also have a brand new roommate, Alexis, who is one of "my" dearly loved kids (she's actually an adult now...) and is interning at House of Faith this summer.</span><br />
<span class="css-4x41l7 e10vl5dg6"><br /></span>
<span class="css-4x41l7 e10vl5dg6">I volunteer with the youth group at my church (Angelo Bible Church), something that I have fallen very in love with doing. I have been stretched and challenged in BIG ways through this venture, so hopefully I've grown and matured in the process! I have also discovered some really deep friendships through this, most notably the acquisition of my "big brother", Kyle (the associate/youth pastor of ABC). I always wanted a big brother, and the Lord has blessed me richly with this one! His sweet wife, Megan, is also a very dear friend and their beautiful girls, Leah and Zoe, are a precious addition to my life, as well. And yes, they call me Aunt Haley.</span><br />
<span class="css-4x41l7 e10vl5dg6"><br /></span>
<span class="css-4x41l7 e10vl5dg6">As much as I love having "nieces" that are local, they certainly don't take the place of my "actual" nieces and nephew!! Brooke, Rachel and Raylan are growing up in a hurry and I do not get to see them enough...though right now they are in Texas for a visit and I am soaking up every minute I can spend with them! Brooke is almost as tall as I am and is maturing into a talented and gracious young woman. Rachel graduated kindergarten this year and is as verbose and precocious as always! Raylan is a heart breaker already; cute, charming and loves being the center of attention! I love the times I get to be the fun, doting aunt with this trio...though they do NOT call me Aunt Haley. With them, I have the cherished title "Aunt Sister". </span><br />
<span class="css-4x41l7 e10vl5dg6"><br /></span>
<span class="css-4x41l7 e10vl5dg6">I started a handlettering business last year, Chisel and Pen. Right now, it's barely a self-supporting hobby, but I'm hoping to build it into bigger and better things! Look me up on Instagram and Facebook!</span><br />
<span class="css-4x41l7 e10vl5dg6"><br /></span>
<span class="css-4x41l7 e10vl5dg6">I think that hits all the highlights...future posts will have more of what the Lord has been stirring and building in my heart and life! I plan to have fun re-entering the blogging world!</span>RejoicingComethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04219678117115738985noreply@blogger.com0San Angelo, TX, USA31.4637723 -100.4370374999999731.2469948 -100.75976099999997 31.680549799999998 -100.11431399999998tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7004192322182066010.post-66346819210854237232014-06-01T20:34:00.000-05:002014-06-01T22:42:08.440-05:00Currently<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<span style="font-size: 13.5pt;">Hello, blogworld!! Actually...I'm pretty sure my "blog
audience" is mostly imaginary, since my last blog post has a whopping 1
page view. But, I am OK with that. Because I was reminded recently, as I typed
out a "happy birthday" e-mail to a dear friend, how much I miss just
putting thoughts into words via a keyboard. The sound of the keys and seeing
the words appear and tweaking them to be just so...it's<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span><i><u>almost</u></i><span class="apple-converted-space"> </span>as inspiring as a blank sheet of paper
and cool pens. So maybe I mostly blog for myself. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div align="center" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; text-align: center;">
<i><span style="font-size: 13.5pt;">Or maybe I'm just weird. :)</span></i><span style="font-size: 13.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div align="center" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-size: 13.5pt;">So I could try to go back and recount life up to this point, but
the thought of that is overwhelming and a large part of why I haven't blogged
so much in the last couple years. Therefore, I believe I will instead fill
everyONE ;) in on my life ...<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span><i>currently</i>.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-size: 13.5pt;">Currently, I am sitting outside on our steps, enjoying some
gorgeous 91 degree weather (for real, it's beautiful), a gentle breeze, birds
chirping, the quiet company of my dog, and this lovely view:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhe0YAEZfacsLXzWnDkHw3jGUwo88aGqftZMEUF-zvFPjK3efKtpwmTQZPbP5EKJEGsh6rgf9CgiDZ-24-PLbzGwq6LW050v9pTGlyjNrBSaPvG3kuvBvc_zZKnLiCJ26f6zcwSh6ow6Kot/s1600/photo.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhe0YAEZfacsLXzWnDkHw3jGUwo88aGqftZMEUF-zvFPjK3efKtpwmTQZPbP5EKJEGsh6rgf9CgiDZ-24-PLbzGwq6LW050v9pTGlyjNrBSaPvG3kuvBvc_zZKnLiCJ26f6zcwSh6ow6Kot/s1600/photo.JPG" height="218" width="400" /></a></div>
<div align="center" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; text-align: center;">
<i><span style="font-size: 13.5pt;">(I'm not being sarcastic when I say
lovely...if you don't agree, all I can say is: 1) the picture doesn't capture it and 2) it grows on you. :) )</span></i><span style="font-size: 13.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div align="center" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-size: 13.5pt;">Currently, my dad, Josiah and Jonathan are changing a tire on the
Mercury. Which reminds me that Josiah now has his driver's license and I'm
still adjusting to the fact that he can drive himself all over town. Without an
adult. Oh, wait...he IS an adult. OK, still adjusting to that fact, too.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-size: 13.5pt;">Currently, I'm soaking up every calm quiet home moment I can get
because our summer is shifting into full gear, which means 8 crazy weeks of
non-stop action for me between House of Faith, a church mission trip, House of
Faith, my brother Caleb being home for his after-deployment visit (yay!), House
of Faith, VBS (which I am NOT directing this year!) and House of Faith. Oh, did
I mention House of Faith?!?!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-size: 13.5pt;">Currently, I still love my job and all the chaotic beauty it adds
to my life. I love that every day is different and there is no telling what any
one day might hold. I love that we have the freedom and even the expectation to
let the Holy Spirit take control of our moments and days, that we are
people-oriented more than task-oriented, and that stopping to pray in our
busiest moments is considered normal. I love being part of a team that works
with excellence for excellence because we serve the Excellent One. I love
working in an environment where no job is really thankless for long because
everyone encourages and builds up those around them. I love that we are all
about JESUS, knowing Him and making Him known. And...I am also thrilled with
the fact that this summer, we actually have an "administrative
intern", which means I get to share my work with a lovely young lady that
is so far taking to all the paperwork/data entry like a duck to water and is
going to help make this summer the best ever!! :)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-size: 13.5pt;">Currently, my top four favorite songs are: <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-size: 13.5pt;">Broken Hallelujah (by the Afters)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-size: 13.5pt;">Glorious Unfolding (by Steven Curtis Chapman)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-size: 13.5pt;">Fix My Eyes (by for King & Country)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-size: 13.5pt;">King of My Heart (by Love & the Outcome)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-size: 13.5pt;">Currently, I am constantly blown away by the reality of God's
love--its height, depth, width and breadth; its reality; its presence in every
detail of my life; the outrageous price Jesus paid to pour it out on me; the
way Scripture continually speaks of it; the way the writers of Scripture obviously
stood in awe of it;<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span><b><i>the way
I am called to love like that.</i></b><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-size: 13.5pt;">Currently, I am seriously missing my ridiculously adorable
nieces and nephew, who were just here last week for a visit. Rachel seems to be<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span><i>finally</i> figuring out the
"Sister" thing, which thrills my heart to no end. Brooke, my oldest
niece, nicknamed me "Sister" a couple years ago, and I hoped it would
stick; there's been some confusion for Rachel, since she calls Brooke
"Sissy"; but there is hope!! Raylan is just the most precious baby boy
EVER (except Jesus, I guess); he doesn't say much except "hi",
"no", and "yeah!", which he exclaims with great excitement
every time he gives a high-five. It was rumored that he also says
"Mommy" and "Daddy", but I never heard those words from
him. All in all, they are sooooo darling and have completely captured my heart.<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span><i>Of course.</i><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-size: 13.5pt;">And last...currently, I need to finish this up and go inside and
finish the game of "Dots" I was playing with my Daddy. And then I
need to go to bed early. Because tomorrow starts another super busy week!!</span></div>
RejoicingComethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04219678117115738985noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7004192322182066010.post-72602491269604051482014-05-23T20:46:00.001-05:002014-05-23T20:46:22.227-05:00Wonderful Works<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="color: purple;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b>"Wonderful are Your works; my soul knows it very well."</b></span> </span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="color: purple; font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i>(Psalm 139:14)</i></span></div>
<br />
My soul knows, with greatest certainty, that His works are <i>wonderful</i>. Knows it because I have seen it,<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
experienced it, </div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
tasted it, </div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
walked in it, </div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<i><b>lived it.</b></i></div>
<br />
<i>But what about when I can't see it?</i><br />
<br />
What about the times when my soul is dry and thirsty, my heart fragile and broken and longing for something more?<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b><i><span style="color: purple; font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace; font-size: large;">His works are still wonderful.</span></i></b></div>
<br />
When life is hard -- <i>His works are wonderful.</i><br />
<i><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><br /></span></i>
When the way seems long -- <i>His works are wonderful.</i><br />
<i><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><br /></span></i>
When life is not turning out the way I expected -- <i>His works are wonderful.</i><br />
<i><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><br /></span></i>
When teenagers die and we at House of Faith have to walk through that valley with the families and other students and we are surrounded by pain and grief and questions with no answers...<i><b>His works are wonderful.</b></i><br />
<br />
So when I don't see it, feel it, taste it --<b><span style="font-size: large;"> <span style="color: purple;">the truth doesn't change</span></span></b>.<br />
I just have to remind myself of it, rehearse it over and over until it is thoroughly, <i>permanently</i>, <b>inerasably </b>embedded in the deepest parts of my soul. To not forget in the dark what I have so clearly seen in the light.<br />
<br />
So through heartache, pain, long days and lonely nights I will remind my soul of this reality it knows very well:<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b><i><span style="color: purple; font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace; font-size: x-large;">His works are WONDERFUL.</span></i></b></div>
RejoicingComethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04219678117115738985noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7004192322182066010.post-78808561649881248182014-04-08T12:18:00.000-05:002014-04-08T12:21:10.565-05:00Fear Not<b><span style="font-size: large;">Fear not.</span></b><br />
<br />
Because <u>God</u> <u>Almighty</u>--<br />
the One who created the universe?<br />
the One whom victory meets at every step?<br />
<br />
Yeah, <b><i><u>He</u></i></b> walks with you.<br />
He carries you,<br />
He has chosen you,<br />
He holds your hand,<br />
He is your Redeemer.<br />
<br />
<b><span style="font-size: large;">Fear not.</span></b><br />
<br />
<i>(Isaiah 41, summarized and paraphrased :) )</i>RejoicingComethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04219678117115738985noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7004192322182066010.post-19905396617493776202013-09-07T12:37:00.000-05:002013-09-07T12:37:00.177-05:00This Given Life<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">"The given life"...I'm not sure who coined that phrase, but I'm quite sure it wasn't me. :) Hudson Taylor called it "the exchanged life", A.W. Tozer called it "the crucified life"...it's entirely possible that </span><a href="http://www.ellerslie.com/sermons/directory" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Eric Ludy</span></a><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> is the first person I heard call it "the given life", but I don't really think he came up with the name, either. Regardless of its origin, it's a descriptive name I am coming to love more and more for the life I live.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"></span><br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Jonathan Edwards said, "I have been this day before God, and have given myself, all that I am and all that I have, to God; so that I am in no respect my own. I claim no right to myself, no right to this understanding, this will, these affections that are in me. Neither do I have any right to this body or its members, no right to this tongue, to these hands, feet, ears or eyes. I have given myself clear away and not retained anything of my own."</span></div>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="background-color: #d5a6bd; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><em>"I have given myself clear away."</em></span></div>
</blockquote>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">That is the essence of this given life I live. But something I am learning day by day is that this given life is intensely practical. It is played out in every moment, every decision, every relationship, every thought, every feeling. Having "given myself clear away" to God, the natural result is that He would use me, pour me out, in giving of myself to or on behalf of others. The "given" part of the given life is not the giving of me or my resources to others, but the simple fact that I am <em><strong>already given</strong></em> completely to God.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"></span><br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I don't have words for the fullness of the realization that <strong><span style="font-size: large;">I am not my own</span></strong>. I have given myself completely to God; therefore, He has <em>every right</em> to use me, spend me, give me away, take my time and energy and emotion however He wants to! I don't get a say in the matter! My choice is made by choosing to be His; the rest is 100% up to Him. And I cannot begin to describe the sheer joy and utter peace this brings. I don't have to fret over decisions, large or small; I simply yield and follow. <strong>God chooses</strong> how my time is spent. <strong>God chooses</strong> where I invest my energy. <strong>God chooses</strong> what my emotions are spent on. </span></div>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="background-color: #d5a6bd; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><em>The sweet reality of this given life is that <br />
<strong>God chooses</strong>.</em></span></div>
</blockquote>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"></span> </div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">But it's not just some crazy, out there notion in my head, either. It leads me in all kinds of practicalities. For example...</span></div>
<ul><div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">
</span></div>
<li><div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I used to be SO okay with clutter and chaos. It simply did not faze me. Piles of stuff or clothes or paper everywhere, a room that looked like a tornado blew through--I was fine. I could work and rest and live in that environment with peace and even my own sort of efficiency. My stuff was "filed" in stacks, but I could find what I needed when I needed it! <br />But then...God put His finger on this area and aspect of my life with a simple declaration: "I am a God of order." Since He's choosing in my life, if He wants a clean, organized room and office (since those, really, are my only areas of jurisdiction), then that's what He gets. So I started going through things, getting rid of things, organizing things...it's still a work in process (please don't look in my loft right now), but the craziest part of the deal is how He's changed my heart and desires in this area. I now need the order and organization He is bringing into my life, though not in a "I can't function if things aren't just the way I want it" sort of way (because that is equally unhealthy). Rather, it's more of a "I need to do all in my power to order my surroundings in a way that reflects my God, who is a God of order" kind of way. :)</span></div>
</li>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">
</span></div>
<li><div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">My natural tendency is to take a rather lackadaisical approach to life much of the time. </span><span style="font-size: x-small;"><em><span style="color: #666666; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">(Side note: I looked up "lackadaisical" to make sure I was spelling it right, and here's one definition: "lazy or idle,esp in a dreamy way". Ummmm....yeah. Especially the dreamy way. Did I ever tell y'all the story of how my dad once stood and watched me wash the <u>same plate</u> for 10 minutes? I love to create my own little world, and then live in it.)</span> </em></span></div>
<span style="color: black; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">This usually applies mostly to how I spend my free time, and the effort I put into relationships. Again, God has put His finger on this area of my life through reminding me that my time is His, and that people are of the utmost importance to Him. So, there are some things I've had to cut out of my life (movies, TV, games on my phone, etc...not because those things are inherently evil, but because they were absorbing pretty much ALL my "extra" time). This, of course, is also how I've managed to have time to organize my room...see, it all fits together! <br />I've also been working on being more intentional with my relationships...things like, getting up early in the morning to go play tennis or basketball with my brothers, or taking them out to breakfast sometimes on a Friday morning, or just learning to have real conversations with people instead of talking about things that simply don't matter in the long run.</span>
</li>
</ul>
<br />
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Those are just a couple of examples of the practical realities God is leading me in as I seek to live out this given life...bottom line: He is SO good, and faithful, and amazing and I am loving the adventure of living a life that is given completely to Him!</span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">One other note about that, though--something else I'm learning is that my definition of "completely" is being constantly advanced. When I was about 13, I gave my life "completely" to the Lord...but as the years go on, He continuously has to bring me back to His altar and show me things that I am holding back. So I give them to Him, and say again that I am "completely" His. But I'm pretty sure that as He keeps working in me, there will always be more to surrender. </span></div>
<div style="text-align: right;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Hey--that's part of the adventure!</span></div>
<div style="text-align: right;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> </span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><em><span style="color: black; font-size: x-small;">(note: somehow, part way through this post, I accidentally hit some button that posted it. So to those of you that get it e-mailed to you...sorry! You might get it twice! :) )</span></em></span></div>
RejoicingComethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04219678117115738985noreply@blogger.com0Home in The Cave31.463810992221845 -100.4342651367187531.247033492221846 -100.75698863671875 31.680588492221844 -100.11154163671875tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7004192322182066010.post-65119329607789595702013-05-24T23:50:00.001-05:002013-05-24T23:50:31.741-05:00It's LoveHello, people! :) So, a friend recently mentioned my blog and I had an "oh, yeah" moment--like, "oh, yeah, I have one of those!" Then I got on to see when I'd last posted and realized it was a little over a year and a half ago. Wow, sorry, y'all!!<br />
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I'm working on learning to be more intentional with life, not letting my time and energy be so much controlled by "the tyranny of the urgent". I'm still definitely a work in progress!! But one of the things on my "live life on purpose" list is blogging, so I'll try to be more consistent with this!<br />
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For tonight, I'm just going to post something I wrote a while back. I've been, in various ways, a part of House of Faith for nearly 3 years now, but it feels somehow like I've always been there. :) One of my favorite things about HOF is the opportunity to be involved in TWO of the Backyard Bible Clubs, where we take Jesus into the yards of the elementary schools and the lives of the K-5th grade students who attend them. Every Wednesday and Thursday afternoon finds me out in a yard, checking in over a hundred children and then loving them however I can. Sometimes, it's crazy and challenging, but I love it!! :) Goliad, my Wednesday club, has been especially challenging this year on a number of levels, and I have been stretched and grown tremendously through it.<br />
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Our weekly programs that we have during the school year are over for this year, but this little reflection is something I wrote one Wednesday evening as I thought back over my day at Goliad BBC and the 150+ kids who are there that hold my heart...<br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i>I’m surrounded by noise and chaos
when I see it. Kids are running wild, shouting, laughing, arguing—a fight is
about to break out across the yard, a few kids nearby are building with marble
works and chatting happily, a crowd of children runs up and surrounds me; some
just to say hi, most with a breaking crisis to report. So-and-so called
such-and-such this or that, where's Marci, this little one needs to go to the bathroom, where's Marci, I
can’t find my backpack, where's Marci, can I have a drink of water, where’s Marci, that kid
hit me…the list goes on. It’s easy, sometimes, to lose sight of why I’m even
here.<o:p></o:p></i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i>But then—through the noise and
the chaos, I see it. I see it in the big trusting eyes turned toward me like I can somehow "fix it", the
smiles or concern on the faces in the little circle around me, and in a child’s
face when I call them by name and they realize: they matter to someone. I hear
it in the chatter of little voices who can’t wait to tell me about the silver
teeth they’re getting next week, or their dog that took on a Rottweiler and
won, or something that happened at school. I feel it in the arms wrapped around
my waist, the little hand holding on to mine and the constant need to be near
me, touching me. And it’s there in the older kids who come looking for me to
give me a hug and say hello, almost like they’re just checking to make sure I
still care about them, too. It's in every high-five, every hello, every hug, every hard-earned ounce of respect.<o:p></o:p></i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i>I see it. I hear it. I feel it.
Why am I here? It’s simple, really: <b>love</b>. Because I love them because Jesus
loves me, and He loves them, even more than I do; which is a <span style="font-size: large;"><b><u>lot</u></b>!</span><o:p></o:p></i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i><span style="line-height: 115%;">So week after week I come back to the chaos. I
answer the questions, I break up the fights, I listen to the stories, I hug
them like crazy, I take them to the bathroom, I point out Marci at least a hundred times, I pick up trash, I deal
with the issues, I point them to Jesus and every now and then I even get to teach a Bible lesson. ;)</span><span style="line-height: 115%;"> </span></i></span><div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i><span style="line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i><span style="line-height: 115%;">And in the moments of frustration when I wonder
why I’m here, Jesus always finds a way to remind me: <b>it’s love</b>.</span></i></span></div>
RejoicingComethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04219678117115738985noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7004192322182066010.post-67894090850576613032011-11-09T22:51:00.000-06:002011-11-09T22:52:13.532-06:00This is my life...<p class="mobile-photo"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjILjYkC5Hga7y53upmH97v1pcPHEDC8dwPlT4jHrjfTxka_loaOP1hkEyvSmSF14eB_SNxoCgxZMTXlVmWxdKLPG6eK-2lwD11uPXN8giKNmM23Wt5oe_Yu9kL9gaT62c67a_0T6UPqmAK/s1600/photo-733533.JPG"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjILjYkC5Hga7y53upmH97v1pcPHEDC8dwPlT4jHrjfTxka_loaOP1hkEyvSmSF14eB_SNxoCgxZMTXlVmWxdKLPG6eK-2lwD11uPXN8giKNmM23Wt5oe_Yu9kL9gaT62c67a_0T6UPqmAK/s320/photo-733533.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5673225454875528594" /></a></p>RejoicingComethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04219678117115738985noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7004192322182066010.post-45951375083571576302011-08-23T22:34:00.003-05:002011-08-23T23:23:41.872-05:00Only Trust Him/House of Fizzle<div>If you're looking at the title to this post and scratching your head in confusion while wondering if I've lost my mind in the <font size="4"><strong>8 months</strong></font> since I last "blogged"...<em>good</em>, and <em>probably</em>. :)<br /><br />House of Fizzle is an affectionate nickname for House of Faith. Because things are usually "fizzling" around here. Or something. I didn't come up with the nickname, I just laughed at Mindi and Eva the day I heard them answer the phone like that and then decided it was a fitting nickname somehow.<br /><br /><em>but I digress.</em><br /><br />So...since it's been forever since I blogged, I guess a long, rambling post catching everyone up on my life is in order.<br /><br /><em>sorry. </em><br /><br />Maybe someday I'll get around to said long, rambling post, but tonight is not that day. In the words of Inigo Montoya on <strong><font size="4">"The Princess Bride"</font></strong>: "Let me 'splain. <pause> No, there is too much. Let me sum up." :) So here's the summary of my life since January. For the really short version, just read the stuff in bold. ;)<br /><br /><strong>February</strong> I started interning full-time (read: working for free...raising support) at <strong><font size="4"><em>House of Faith</em></font></strong> because that was unquestionably where God was leading me to work. It's been an adventure and a stretching, challenging time since then, but I still love it! :) Also in February, I made a<strong><font size="4"><em> wedding cake</em></font></strong> for a friend who was getting married. It was fun! :)<br /><br /><strong>March</strong>...I don't remember any big happenings in March, other than my <strong><font size="4"><em>dad's birthday</em></font></strong>. :)<br /><br /><strong>April</strong> started off with <strong><em>House of Faith family camp</em></strong>, and then had us making a family trip to California for a very special graduation ceremony as <strong><em><font size="4">Caleb became a Marine</font></em></strong>--officially. :) We had a great time and we are soooo proud. And since we're talking about birthdays....<strong><em><font size="4">Mom celebrated her birthday</font></em></strong> this month! The only other big event in April was that <strong><em>Amber moved into her own apartment</em></strong>.<br /><br />In <strong>May</strong>, <strong><em><font size="4">Josiah turned 15</font></em></strong>, <strong><em><font size="4">I turned 25 </font></em></strong> (no, I didn't get anywhere near accomplishing everything on my list), and our <strong><em><font size="4">House of Faith summer interns arrived</font></em></strong>! I was part of the leadership trio within the intern team (our official title was "intern coordinators") so this was a really big event in my life!</pause></div><p><pause><strong>June and July</strong> will be combined for the sake of brevity...basically, they can be summed up in four words: <strong><em><font size="4">House of Faith Summer</font></em></strong>! It was fast, furious, and fabulous! Being in a position of leadership among other young adults, rather than just kids, was a <strong><em>new and sometimes difficult</em></strong> thing for me, but I discovered that I kinda liked it. And <strong><em>I loved our interns</em></strong>! :) Over the course of these two months, we did <strong><em>Sports Camp</em></strong>, <strong><em>2 Kids' Connections</em></strong>, <strong><em>4th-6th grade Overnight Camp</em></strong>, and <strong><em>7th-12th grade Overnight camp</em></strong>, complete with lots of planning and prep in the midst of all that! Also in June, <strong><em><font size="4">Amber got engaged to Chase Bowman</font></em></strong>! :)</pause></p><p><pause>Then came <strong>August</strong>...which was supposed to be slower...but instead, in the first two weeks, <em><strong><font size="4">I coordinated/directed VBS</font></strong></em> for the first (but probably not last) time in my life (it was great! :) ), and <strong><em><font size="4">Amber got married to Chase Bowman</font></em></strong>! And <strong><em><font size="4">I made her cake</font></em></strong>! <strong><em><font size="4">And was her maid-of-honor</font></em></strong>! (the day after VBS ended!!! :) ) And <strong><em><font size="4">I became an aunt</font></em></strong>! (Chase has an adorable little 4-year-old girl named Brooke with whom I am totally in love, of course!)</pause></p><p><pause>And now we're still in <strong>August</strong>, and <strong><em><font size="4">my computer is beeping low battery at me</font></em></strong>, <em><font size="2">(oops, sorry...guess that isn't big news?!)</font></em> and <strong><em><font size="4">I got hired part time at House of Faith</font></em></strong>! Like, a paying job!! At a place I love enough to work for free. How awesome is that?! I am so super thrilled! Like one of our interns this summer, the dearly loved Christine, would say: God is real. :) I mean, I already knew that, but it's fun to see His "realness" in the details of my life.</pause></p><p><pause>And now...the "<strong><em><font size="4">only trust Him</font></em></strong>" part of the title...in 4 minutes or less, 'cause that's all I've got before my computer dies...basically, it comes to this: <strong><em><font size="4">that's been the theme of my year</font></em></strong>. From stepping out in faith to raise support and work at House of Faith, to being part of leadership with the interns when everything in me said, "I can't do this!", to coordinating/directing VBS--the same week my sister got married, in case VBS wasn't overwhelming enough!--to trusting God with my "I really don't see how this is going to work out come December" finances just to have Him give me a job doing what I love at a ministry I love with people I love... <strong><em><font size="5">"only trust Him." That's all my life is about.</font></em></strong></pause></p><p><pause><em>the end.</em></pause></p><p><pause> </pause></p><em><font size="2">(maybe details on some of this will come later...for now, be happy. I thought of all of you. Whoever "all of you" are. :) )</font></em>RejoicingComethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04219678117115738985noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7004192322182066010.post-45385891767914973082011-01-16T23:35:00.000-06:002011-01-18T16:19:39.565-06:00Slumber party! :)<p class="mobile-photo"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4pGHsqG-JV0iFle6N3bCsBbMMA9DF8UbFvxYS6yXL6tnzB_fx9DjbULMZ1sKGawarITn30-vUCdeC3eV_s2JKfiNwKNDYA0ehM2TVBuyfwPwm_xK14JyFLZq_MfU0Yoh5Gaelr0mrY6t3/s1600/Photo0429-779567.jpg"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4pGHsqG-JV0iFle6N3bCsBbMMA9DF8UbFvxYS6yXL6tnzB_fx9DjbULMZ1sKGawarITn30-vUCdeC3eV_s2JKfiNwKNDYA0ehM2TVBuyfwPwm_xK14JyFLZq_MfU0Yoh5Gaelr0mrY6t3/s320/Photo0429-779567.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5563654165093662354" /></a></p><tr height="15" style="border-top: 1px solid #0F7BBC;"> <td> with two of my favorite little ladies... :) </td> </tr> RejoicingComethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04219678117115738985noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7004192322182066010.post-19142997522979531172010-12-11T23:12:00.003-06:002010-12-12T00:00:59.177-06:00Pretty Special...So, I've been working on a couple of the things on my little "things to do before I'm 25 list". Namely, the reading ones. :) Which means I'm currently reading about 4 books AND the Bible... :)<br /><br />I've read the first three of the <u><em>Anne of Green Gables</em></u> books and have definitely fallen in love. I really can't believe I have never before read them! Anne Shirley is the sweetest, most bewitching fictional character I have ever met, and I'm pretty sure that if I could write like Lucy Maud Montgomery I would be the absolutely happiest person in the world. But, alas, I can't write like the wonderful L.M. Montgomery; I can't even write like the sweet, sometimes silly, fictitious Anne-girl; yet I'm still awfully happy. Because I happen to know that it is just as sweet to brighten someone's day with a simple card or letter as it ever could be to be a "literary giant" writing "best-selling classics". So there! :)<br /><br />And...there's someone else I'd dearly love to be like: Jim Elliot. Yep, I'm slowly working my way through his journals and I just become more and more amazed at this guy! His passion, his focus, his all-out, sold-out, diving-in-the-deep-end approach to a life lived solely for God...it's all so incredibly inspiring! It makes me want to burn all my old journals and start over and make them ever so much more like his! It's not so much that he was perfect as it is that he was <em>perfectly</em> in love with Jesus and it showed so <em>perfectly</em> in his life! And I want to be like that...but I so continually fall so far short of who and what I think I should be.<br /><br />So I'm coming to another conclusion: my life is entirely too much made up of comparisons and imitations. There is, of course, nothing wrong with having good, strong heroes and even striving to be like them in various ways. But when all that I am is an imitation of <em>someone</em>--besides Jesus Christ, <a href="http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/unadulteratedly?o=100084&qsrc=2871&l=dir" target="new">unadulteratedly</a>--something is not quite right. Why is "just me" not good enough? God thinks it is! My life and the way I live it is not going to look just like anyone else's, whether it be Jim Elliot or Anne Shirley. I wasn't made to be Jim Elliot or Anne Shirley, I was made to be <em>me</em>, Haley Nicole Miller. And the funny thing is, God kinda likes me just the way I am; just the way He made me. That makes me feel pretty special... :)RejoicingComethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04219678117115738985noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7004192322182066010.post-34053951834545660482010-12-01T01:44:00.001-06:002010-12-01T01:44:49.282-06:00Beginning to look a lot like Christmas!<p class="mobile-photo"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJ9tiev7UNS5exSaH3LP_BCMsWoXZk6MDK1FJ0cY1J0HyUp648EnO9Asv0WLt91FtSZtKG7fcpEWqmFxsT9B4JTbuVJKhpHKK1G3cLkgwH2enLJJv02psGSrtiCaySYjHvGlOB9I-0B0Gi/s1600/Photo0423-789283.jpg"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJ9tiev7UNS5exSaH3LP_BCMsWoXZk6MDK1FJ0cY1J0HyUp648EnO9Asv0WLt91FtSZtKG7fcpEWqmFxsT9B4JTbuVJKhpHKK1G3cLkgwH2enLJJv02psGSrtiCaySYjHvGlOB9I-0B0Gi/s320/Photo0423-789283.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5545616635323167170" /></a></p>RejoicingComethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04219678117115738985noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7004192322182066010.post-74770356196726215332010-11-16T07:54:00.000-06:002010-11-16T07:54:00.543-06:00Happy (half) birthday to me! :)<p>So...today is November 16th, which happens to be my half-birthday. That means it is exactly 6 months until my birthday. To celebrate, I jotted down this little list of 25 things I want to do before I'm 25. Granted, since I only have 6 months left, I may very possibly not actually accomplish all of these things. But it was fun making the list... :) (and yes, the idea sprouted from a comment my mom posted on a previous "25 things" list of a different theme on Facebook. :) ) These are really in no particular order!</p><ol><li>Read <em>all</em> of "<u>The Journals of Jim Elliot</u>" </li><li>Scrapbook the trip to Bolivia </li><li>Finish the Beth Moore Bible study I'm currently doing (<u>A Woman's Heart: God's Dwelling Place</u>--great stuff! :) ) </li><li>Learn to skate on in-line skates </li><li>Read all the unread books on my bookcase </li><li>Apply for the fall 2011 semester at Ellerslie (<a href="http://www.ellerslie.com/" target="new">http://www.ellerslie.com/</a>) </li><li>Beat my sister at a speed game (Dutch Blitz, Spoons, Blink, etc.) </li><li>Finish editing my "Let There Be Light" story </li><li>Submit said story for publication somewhere </li><li>Get to where I can play a game of tennis with my brothers--and actually score points! </li><li>Read the "<u>Anne of Green Gables</u>" books </li><li>Write a Bible study </li><li>Improve my cake-decorating skills </li><li>Love as many children as possible...or at least as many as God brings me! </li><li>Learn to actually play at least one song on the harp </li><li>Learn sign language </li><li>Co-write more songs </li><li>Record a CD with the songs I've co-written </li><li>Improve my piano-playing </li><li>Read the entire Bible through from Genesis to Revelation </li><li>Pet some kind of big wild cat (leopard, cheetah, lion, tiger, panther... :) ) </li><li>Memorize Psalm 119 </li><li>Try at least 10 new recipes of some sort </li><li>Start a puppet/ministry team </li><li>Fall even and ever more deeply in love with Jesus Christ, Lover of my soul and the Love of my life! </li></ol>RejoicingComethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04219678117115738985noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7004192322182066010.post-14667757731346025272010-11-15T13:36:00.000-06:002010-11-15T14:14:07.995-06:00determinedThe other day, I was flipping through some old journals and I came across this, dated March 24, 1994: "I am determined to see Jesus." I was seven years old, not yet saved, and a stubborn brat. I was "determined" to do a lot of things: eat as much sugar (candy, cookies, whatever!) as I could snitch in any given day; do as little school as I could get away with; spend every spare minute (and quite a few that weren't spare) either reading or playing outside; drive my sister crazy by imitating everything she did, said, and wore; boss my little brothers around to get my way; get dirtier than my mother ever dreamed was possible by playing in the mud; keep everyone outside my family convinced that I was a sweet, perfect little angel... etc, etc! OK, so maybe I didn't do all of those things on <em>purpose</em>, but hey--it <em>is</em> who I was! Yet somehow, God was already working in my sinful little heart to draw me to Himself. How amazing is that?! And in the midst of my little girl world, I simply knew that I wanted to see Him. I wanted to know Him. I was <em>determined</em> to see Him!<br /><br />I've outgrown (by the grace of God!) a lot of those little girlish kinds of things. I'm older, more mature, and hopefully more like Jesus. But one thing I've never outgrown (also by the grace of God!) is that determination to see Jesus. I'm still determined to see Him. I still live to know Him. Whatever it takes, whatever the cost may be, I am going to seek my Jesus. Through every fall--every time I compromise--every time I yield to a temptation--every time I'm too distracted or too busy or too tired or too whatever--He is still there, drawing me on. And I'm <em>determined</em> to keep running toward Him. I am going to see and know Jesus Christ! Who's with me?!RejoicingComethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04219678117115738985noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7004192322182066010.post-62913184964439721762010-11-05T00:55:00.000-05:002010-11-06T14:37:22.985-05:00Final Bolivia UpdateHey, y'all! :)<br />Well, we're actually home (it's hard to believe we've been home a week!), but I decided to go ahead and send out one last update e-mail to fill everyone in on our last week in Cochabamba, Bolivia. It was a busy, crazy, full week (hence the reason I didn't ever get an e-mail sent) as we tried to pack as much into it as we could and spent every possible second with the kids. :)<br /><br />So...<strong>Thursday</strong> (October 21st) we went to the Cristo, one of the main tourist attractions in Cochabamba. It's the big statue of Jesus up on a hill. Kaley came with us for the afternoon. We rode up on the teleferico, a sort of cable car type thing. Once up there, we took pictures (of course!), sat on the little wall and watched a thunderstorm come in, played on the playground (swings and broken see-saws...), and just had a good time visiting and enjoying the scenery. From there we went to get ice cream, did a little shopping, got trancapechos, and then trekked back to House 1 (after a stop at Kaley's house) to watch "<em>Anne of Green Gables</em>", which we had discovered was a mutual favorite movie. :) It was a fun day, with a LOT of walking...though I was kind of sad that I didn't see my kiddos at all that day. But I made up for it by hanging out with them all day Friday. :)<br /><br /><strong>Saturday</strong> (October 23rd) we hung out with the House 2 kids all day. Amber, Savannah, Kaley and I all headed over there with our 3 oldest kids from House 1. Then we took our 3 and 8 of the House 2 kids to the park where they had a great time walking through the aquarium, swinging, trying to do monkey bars, and all sorts of other kids-at-the-park things. Of course, we had fun, too!! And took lots of pictures. :) After the park, we took them to eat pizza in the food court at IC Norte...it's really interesting the kinds of looks 4 gringas with 11 Bolivian children get out in public places. But hey, the pizza was good and the kids loved it.<br />Then we headed back to the house where we spent the rest of the afternoon painting the girls' fingernails and making bracelets with the older kids (thank you, House of Faith summer camp! :) ) and just visiting/loving on the precious little (and not so little) guys. We got home in time to chill with our House 1 kids for a little while before bedtime and help the tias with the crazy bedtime routine. :)<br /><br /><strong>Sunday</strong> (October 24th) after attending a Spanish-speaking church (with Jhosie and Fabiola), we loaded a bunch of bridge kids up (in Jennifer's car and the big "tank" that is usually House 2's car) and drove up a mountain trail to some natural hot springs/pool kind of thing. Now THAT was an adventure!! The "tank" is a standard, so Jen asked Amber to drive it up. Kaley and I and 5 or 6 of the bridge kids rode in that car. It really was pretty much just a trail we were driving up; Jennifer had been told the main road was closed, so we were taking kind of the back way up. It took us over an hour to get up the mountain, and there were some nerve-wracking moments in that hour. (steep mountain trail + standard vehicle that occasionally died on the way up a hill + switchback turns...I think you get the picture!) However, the view was beautiful and once we got up to the springs/pool it was nice. Kaley and I had not brought swimsuits, so we didn't plan on swimming. However, we did take our shoes off and sit on the side of the pool with our feet in the water. Apparently, that was a mistake; 2 of Jen's kids (Jason and I'm not sure who else) came up behind us and pushed us in with no warning. Good thing we can swim! (also a good thing I had taken my camera out of my pocket... :P) The water was nice and we enjoyed swimming; the freezing afterward was not as much fun. We hung out and ate supper up on the mountain then headed back down. The main road was NOT closed, so we went down that way--definitely a better route! :)<br /><br /><strong>Tuesday</strong> (October 26th) we had a double birthday party and picture day at House 2. I used to think it was a bit difficult to get our family (8 people) all dressed, ready, posed, and smiling for pictures. Now, it seems like a piece of cake compared to the adventure of getting 21 children age 4 and under dressed, loaded up, transported, combined with 12 more children (all under age 9, I believe), posed, and smiling for pictures! Whew! Elena (the volunteer-in-charge at House 2) was incredibly organized and had stickers with names taped to the bench and stumps so that we were able to just stick everyone quickly in their place as soon as we got to House 2 and snap pictures while everyone was still clean and pretty happy. Yay, Elena! :)<br />After the picture taking, we went on to celebrate birthdays. Savannah and I had stayed up late the night before making birthday cakes (Damaris wanted a cow, made by Savannah; Ana Maria wanted a flower, made by yours truly), which were enjoyed by all. There was also PLENTY of Jello (did I mention that Jello is a big deal in Bolivia?), lots of love and fun and laughter, and just a general good time. After a couple hours, we loaded our 21 kiddos back up and took them home to House 1. Where, because they had been awakened from their naps early (and then allowed to feast on more sugar than they usually get in month...), they were ALL rather cranky. It was a bit of a trying hour and a half before we finally put them to bed 30 minutes early! But, even while they were all fighting, yelling, crying over everything, etc., they still managed to be quite precious. And I love them. Even then. :)<br /><br /><strong>Wednesday</strong> (October 27th) we loved on our kiddos as much as possible, and then there was a "Christmas catalog/newsletter stuffing party" by most of the volunteers and Jen at House 2. Amber and I were bringing the Christmas mail out back with us (because it has to be mailed from McKinney) and Jen had just picked it all up from the printer that afternoon. So we spent a few hours folding, stuffing, taping, stickering, etc. all those catalogs/newsletters. It was kind of fun, actually.<br />Amber and I took a break in the middle to run home to House 1 so we could help tuck the kids into bed and tell them goodbye since we would be leaving before they were awake the next morning. That part was not fun...telling those kids goodbye (especially my Jhosie, who I know absolutely does not understand that I was leaving, much less why, etc.) was one of the hardest things I've ever done. :( If I could have brought them all home with me, I gladly would have!!! But I couldn't...so instead, I left a large part of my heart in Bolivia.<br />Anyway, then when we finished with mail out (at about 10, 10:30 pm) we took it back to House 1, dropped the cars off, and took a taxi to an enchanting little Italian restaurant ("we" being Amber, Jen, and I at this point). The food was good, the candlelight dinner was fun, and it was after midnight before we left. By this time, we were joking about not even going to bed; at least, I was joking; I knew that I desperately needed some sleep!! :) It was about 1 am or so when I went to bed, though (maybe later?)...which might explain why I then managed to sleep through my alarm when it went off at 4:30 am!!<br /><br /><strong>Thursday</strong> (October 28th), despite Amber's alarm not going off and me sleeping through mine, we managed to leave almost when we'd planned to. Jen came in and woke us up about five minutes after 5am (which was when we planned to leave) and after much hurrying and scurrying we left for the airport. We flew out of Cochabamba at 6:20 am, watching a beautiful sunrise over the mountains. The trip was pretty uneventful, really. Our flight leaving Santa Cruz was an hour late leaving, so when we got to Miami we were a little rushed for time. After running what seemed like the entire airport (to passport control, to baggage claim, to customs, to re-check our bags, to our gate... :P), we made it on our flight about 10 minutes before it took off. And then--Dallas, Mom, good Tex-Mex food, and a night out in the country with our life-long friends, the Vests! :) It was late/early when we went to bed that night, too, since we haven't seen the Vests in so long Mary Kathryn had asked her mom if we'd divorced them...and so there was much catching up and visiting to be done! But it was definitely worth a lack of sleep to see them. :)<br /><br /><strong>Friday</strong> (October 29th) we slept in, did some more visiting with the Vests, "Half-Price Books" shopped in the DFW area and met up with my best friend and her family for dinner. Fun day! :) And then it was home to San Angelo, where Daddy actually woke the boys up in the middle of the night so they could say "hello" as soon as we got home. And my dog was very happy to see me. And I got to sleep in my own bed...once again, another late/early night, but soooo worth it! I missed my family (and my dog!) an awful lot this month; I've never been a gone for a month straight before!<br /><br />So...that's pretty much it. That adventure is over now, leaving lots of sweet memories and new experiences and lessons learned/growth experienced. And for those who keep asking--you bet I would go back. Anyone want to go with me? Or fund the trip... ;)<br /><br />Thank you so much for all your prayers and encouragement over this last month! I love and appreciate each one of you. May the Lord bless you with all that He is as you adventure through life with Him!RejoicingComethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04219678117115738985noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7004192322182066010.post-90867037446593435052010-11-04T14:46:00.001-05:002010-11-04T14:46:04.595-05:00Christmas season...<p class="mobile-photo"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBQX1dLnnX9sY1zjCbr4SsCgYm_f_UvgfG6ZgMb4qZ-iCOrTztQhx7D5xq1TxLkgaOL0pJHS41iixhrB4lcBcr1YSCYW3S41hLxyhno4euVwu5eVY228Va8jUt1iJsJX2HCHRDRKjowL_b/s1600/Photo0399-764596.jpg"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBQX1dLnnX9sY1zjCbr4SsCgYm_f_UvgfG6ZgMb4qZ-iCOrTztQhx7D5xq1TxLkgaOL0pJHS41iixhrB4lcBcr1YSCYW3S41hLxyhno4euVwu5eVY228Va8jUt1iJsJX2HCHRDRKjowL_b/s320/Photo0399-764596.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5535783214218810978" /></a></p><tr height="15" style="border-top: 1px solid #0F7BBC;"> <td> ...has officially arrived; the music in the CD player tells me so. :) </td> </tr> RejoicingComethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04219678117115738985noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7004192322182066010.post-69694591607958650352010-10-19T23:15:00.000-05:002010-11-06T14:31:20.024-05:00Bolivia update #4Hola, everyone! :)<br />Well, I really did not intend to let a whole week go by before sending out another update... :)<br /><br />Life has been pretty "normal" here. A lot of hanging out with the kids and the tias, a couple trips downtown...<br />We watched a movie with the tias on night duty the other night--Sister Act. It was in Spanish and there weren't English subtitles, so it was a bit interesting at times. :) At least I'd seen it before so I wasn't totally lost! (we watched "El Rey Leon" in Spanish with the kids one night; that one was easy because I pretty much have it memorized :) ). Another night we played a dice game with Tia Consuelo and Tia Yovana (pronounced Jo-vonna...strange, I know). It was actually very similar to Yahtzee and was lots of fun once we caught on to how it works and stuff. It would not have been nearly as confusing to begin with if it hadn't all been explained in Spanish, I'm fairly certain! :)<br /><br /><strong>Saturday</strong> evening, Amber, Jennifer, and I went to a parade with a bunch of Jen's bridge kids because Juan de Dios (one of her kids) was dancing in the parade. Parades are a much bigger deal here, I think! It was all bands and people dressed up (many of them rather strangely, with a few downright scary looking creatures) dancing. But they shut down a whole section of one of the busiest streets for the majority of the day for this parade and there were like hundreds of people there. And since we were walking around trying to find Juan de Dios, we kept standing in people's way. At one point we're standing there, conferring I guess (they were talking in Spanish!) and suddenly I feel something hit my leg; I look around and this little old lady is yelling at us to move out of her way. She was throwing rocks at our feet/legs! It was crazy. I was like, "Um...I think they want us to move..." :)<br />Amber and I left the parade early to get to the church for "La Noche Andina", where a group called Alfa y Omega (that Edwin, one of the pastors at Cochabamba International Church, plays in) was playing traditional Bolivian Indian kind of music with Christian lyrics and they had dancers (more nicely dressed than those in the parade... :) ). That was pretty cool; though, we got there pretty late because Amber and Jennifer had figured it wouldn't start until nearly an hour late. (almost nothing in Bolivia starts on time. Jennifer refers to it as "the land of the mananas [tomorrows]") But, lo and behold, they started almost on time, so we caught one song before intermission and then the second "half". But I really enjoyed the part we saw! They did a great job.<br /><br /><strong>Sunday</strong>, we just took 3 kiddos to church--Fabiola, Jhosie, and Carla. Next week, apparently, we're going to Elena's church, so it was our last Sunday at CIC and Amber wanted to be able to talk to people afterward (people she knew from her previous trips here). So she had Fabiola and I had Jhosie and Carla (the tias gave her a hard time about the fact that I was taking two 2-year-olds and she was just taking one baby :) ). Kaley came home from church with us, and after lunch out and getting the kids home and to bed the three of us went to the store. Then it was off to the stadium to watch a soccer game with Jennifer and several of her bridge kids. It was a good game; Wilstremmen (or however it's spelled--a Cochabamba team) tied the other team, 2 to 2. "We" scored in the first half, and then there was nothing for the longest time, and then in the last 5 minutes, the other team scored twice and we scored again. The police were beginning to show up in force to prevent a riot should we lose...<br />After the soccer game, all the volunteers (Savannah, Elena, Kaley, Amber, and myself) gathered at House 1 for a "homecooked dinner". Jennifer got back at almost 8 pm, just as we were getting ready to eat without her. But we had fun anyway, just hanging out, getting to know each other better. Elena and Savannah got to talking about "Bon Qui Qui", and on discovering that the rest of us hadn't ever seen her (though I saw some pretty good copycats this summer... ;) ), they found YouTube videos and we all enjoyed a laugh together.<br /><br />Today...Amber and I went to La Cancha (the market) and spent most of the morning and early afternoon shopping around there. Pretty cool place! We have Jonathan and Micah's birthday presents and Christmas presents for everyone...record-setting for me! :) Then we were going to eat at the Silpancho Palace, because they're supposed to have the best silpanchos (a delicious Bolivian dish that we've Americanized back home), but we couldn't find it, so we ended up eating silpanchos at a different restaurant, instead. They weren't the best, but they were HUGE plates; neither of us came close to finishing. We were wishing we had split one!<br /><br />So that's really all that's going on here...since this one is a shorter e-mail...first I'll give a quick update on my Jhosie, and then maybe I'll pick a couple random kids to "introduce".<br />Jhosie has completely captured my heart (in case y'all hadn't figured that out already). She is walking better; she just has to hold one of my hands, and she's learning to navigate the stairs by holding onto the rail and one hand. She loves walking--she's just not confident enough to take off on her own yet. :) I don't remember if I mentioned her love of balls before...but she loves them! And she's getting really good at playing "catch" with some of the other kids. She doesn't do too well if she has to wait too long for them to roll it back to her, though. :) She's also eating better, at least usually. She doesn't like new foods (reminds me of someone else...) and she's not a fan of anything that isn't fed her on a spoon...but she's in luck, because they eat a LOT of soup here, so *shrug*. Jhosie's other love is music; she's quite the jammin' girl, and she is almost always perfectly on beat--clapping her hands, stomping her feet, bobbing her head...the cutest is when she starts to "sing" along with a sort of combination of humming and grunting. :)<br /><br />So...how about "meeting" <em>las trillizas</em> (tree-yee--zas)? The triplets are about 8 months; they came here back in February, I believe, amid a LOT of media attention (surviving, natural triplets are apparently rare in Bolivia). Looking at pictures of them then, it's hard to believe they're the same babies! They were such tiny, preemie little things; now they are fat, chunky babies. :) They are usually a happy, laughing, squealing little bunch, unless they're hungry or someone is trying to get them to crawl. Their mom actually comes every afternoon, and some nights, taking care of them. Eventually, once she has a place to live (which someone is fixing up for her), she'll take them home. She's great with them, too!<br />Speaking of babies who don't want to crawl...Faviana (Favi, for short) is a major favorite around here; she's a year old, one of the happiest babies I've ever seen, but completely content to just sit and watch the world go by. She has absolutely no interest in moving--crawling or walking. So we're working on that. She was the only baby for quite some time, so that has probably contributed to the problem. :)<br /><br />And...Carla. I believe I mentioned Brayan last time? Well, Carla is his younger sister. She's absolutely adorable, and usually pretty well-behaved. She is, however, quite the tattle-tale. She's only 2, so she doesn't always have words to say what it is someone has done or is doing that she thinks they ought not, but she will definitely call it to your attention! And of course, she thinks anything she can't do no one else is allowed to do, either, so it's a bit humorous when she's telling on other tias. "Tia! Tia! Tia!" she'll shout until you finally acknowledge her, and then if you don't do something about whatever she's pointing out to you, she'll keep bringing it up. It's kind of funny, but it gets irritating after a while. :) She and Brayan are one sibling set that don't act as much like siblings as the other sets...in fact, I just found out the other day that they go together!<br /><br />So, those are some of our kiddos. :) We only have a little over a week left here...that's hard to believe! On the one hand, I'm excited about going home--I miss everyone SO much! On the other...it's kinda sad to think about leaving. I'm going to miss everyone HERE so much! But I know God's got it all under control, so I'm leaving these precious kids in very good hands. :)<br /><br />Love y'all! May the Lord richly bless you in all that you do! :)RejoicingComethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04219678117115738985noreply@blogger.com0