Dancing in the Rain

"No battle plan survives contact with the enemy."  --Helmuth von Moltke the Elder (Chief of Staff of the Prussian army before World War 1) 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. 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!  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. C...

It's been exactly 4 years since my last blog post. What?! Where has the time gone?! 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! Reboot: the dictionary definition says " 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. For this post, let me just give you a snapshot view of my life as it is now (beca...

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   almost   as inspiring as a blank sheet of paper and cool pens. So maybe I mostly blog for myself.  Or maybe I'm just weird. :) 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 ...   currently . Currently, I am sitting outside on our steps, enjoying some gorgeous 91 degree weather (for real, it's beautiful), a gentle breeze, birds chirping, th...

"Wonderful are Your works; my soul knows it very well."   (Psalm 139:14) My soul knows, with greatest certainty, that His works are wonderful . Knows it because I have seen it, experienced it,  tasted it,  walked in it,  lived it. But what about when I can't see it? What about the times when my soul is dry and thirsty, my heart fragile and broken and longing for something more? His works are still wonderful. When life is hard -- His works are wonderful. When the way seems long -- His works are wonderful. When life is not turning out the way I expected -- His works are wonderful. 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... His works are wonderful. So when I don't see it, feel it, taste it -- the truth doesn't change . I just have to remind myself of it, rehearse it over and over until it is th...

"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 Eric Ludy 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. 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." "I have given myself clea...

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! Read all of " The Journals of Jim Elliot " Scrapbook the trip to Bolivia Finish the Beth Moore Bible study I'm currently doing ( A Woman's Heart: God's Dwelling Place --great stuff! :) ) Learn to skate on in-line skates Read all the unread books on my bookcase Apply for the fall 2011 semester at Ellerslie ( http://www.ellerslie.com/ ) Beat my sister at a speed game (Dutch Blitz, Spoons, Blink, etc.) Finish editing my "Let There Be Light...

Life has been crazy. Busy. Slightly out of control. And I love it. :) It's hard to believe it's already the end of May! This year is nearly half over...unbelieveable! I've already dubbed this "the year outside my comfort zone." :) The first couple of months were spent actually looking for a job, which I've actually never done before. It's never really mattered, but this year is different because in October I'm going to Bolivia with Amber (another thing outside my comfort zone...) and that takes money. Which means I needed to work. :) Just when I was starting to get really frustrated and really struggling with trusting God to work everything out...He worked everything out better than I could have dreamed! :) I "nannied" for 5 weeks...which, despite my extensive babysitting experience, was still slightly different from anything I've done before--babysitting Monday through Friday, 8-5--I loved it! And I totally miss those kiddos (they were ...

My life these days seems to be a list of "but, God..." prayers: But God, I don't want to move! But I will follow wherever You lead. But I don't want to have to let go...again! But I will live with open hands, clinging only to You. But my world is being shaken again, spiraling out of control. But You are still faithful, and You are in control. But everything is changing and uncertain. But You never change! But I love these people! But I love You more. But I don't understand why.... But You are still God. And I am still Yours. You still love me-- And I still trust You. It's as simple and as difficult as that.

It has been a crazy good week. :) Saturday started with Dad, Micah, and I going to a Silent Siege with other people from our church (more on that in another post). Then we met up with my sister who was coming into town for the weekend and she and I met up with a couple friends (her friend Jennifer, who runs an orphanage in Bolivia, and Jennifer's sister Heather). We had lunch and just hung out at a mall in Dallas for awhile. Then, we got back to Weatherford just in time for Amber to drop me off at a babysitting job; then she came and picked me up when I got done around 9:15 or so. So, my day started standing in the gap for unborn babies, and ended snuggling a precious little sleeping baby girl. :) oh, yeah...life is sweet! Sunday when we got home from church, we ate lunch then all quickly changed clothes to go play volleyball at the park...in the rain. 'cause we're crazy like that . Monday my sister left, but not before we played some two on two basketball in the *freez...