Fridays

It's Friday! I like Fridays. :-D Yesterday we all went out to lunch as a department for Shelly's birthday! (The four pictures I took are on my Facebook ...) The first place we were going to had about a 30-minute wait so we ran (literally .. quite fun! :-)) across the street to the Olive Garden.

Well I think I'm heading out soon ... it should be a beautiful weekend. :o) Hope you all are doing well!

A Great Bible Study ... and Volleyball, Too! :O)

After my Experiencing God Bible study at church this evening, I played volleyball with a bunch of friends in the gym. There were also people playing basketball in the next room over! I love volleyball and could probably play it every day. :-) I hadn't gotten to play in a while, so it was so much fun to get out there and play a bit. And people were so nice and encouraging ... they would cheer for me whenever I hit the ball over! Yay for good times with friends ... and volleyball! :o)

Oh yeah ... the Bible study earlier tonight was good. Challenging and good. I feel like one area the Lord has really been challenging me in lately is the whole overall area of surrender ... one of the lessons in the study talks about having no will of one's own in regard to a given (insert anything that comes to mind) matter ... I have so far to go in this area but am amazed and grateful for God's patience with me. BTW, I would highly recommend Experiencing God for any believer in Jesus ... and even if you don't know Jesus yet, read the first lesson and I hope you soon will ... awesome salvation message on the first pages, and you won't regret knowing Him!

Today I got to go with some friends from church to the downtown Dallas area to feed the homeless. We brought them sandwiches and got to talk to them and reach out to them. It was ... just as when I got to go before ... a pretty amazing experience.

I am really struck by how incredibly grateful they are for even something as small as a sandwich. It is a privilege to get to reach out to them in that small way ... and I pray the Lord uses our small, caring gestures to show them His love.

We got to talk to the sweetest man who is already a believer in Christ, but just mainly needing our encouragement, challenges from the Scripture and prayers. I so much enjoyed getting to talk to him ... and have been touched by the joy that I see in those believers that I meet in the homeless areas. Even in their incredible poverty, they are so often full of gratitude and joy in the Lord. Wow.

It reminds me of Gretcha, the dear woman I met in a North Indian slum. She lived in utter squalor ... in a cluster of makeshift "tents" made of sticks, tarp or whatever else people could find ... and surrounded by garbage and filth. Yet she bubbled over with uncontainable joy as she ran to us, grabbed each of our hands in both of hers and said, "Jai Ma Siki". (Praise to Christ in her language!)

And to think that my life ... and the lives of GFA donors and supporters here in the West ... has made a difference in HER life all the way on the other side of the world. She is a believer in a GFA church that meets in her slum area. It boggles my mind ... and I feel so unworthy in a way ... yet so grateful.

Wow ... how refreshing and encouraging to be reminded ... whether through Gretcha or the people of downtown Dallas ... of the joy we can always have in Jesus.

It is beautiful outside ... although a little chilly ... which is why I'm pretty thankful to be inside as I post this much overdue update. (Has it really been three weeks since I last posted?!) Let's see ... where I do begin ...

Okay. Last week the guys in my S.S. class at church had dinner for the girls at one of their houses for Valentine's Day. They had beef and chicken fajitas ... and they made sure we all had drinks (sodas) before they prayed for our meal ... then they served us this great ice cream for desert. They are so sweet! :-D

I had such a good Friday evening and Saturday ... it was relaxing yet also very productive, too. I made (and loosely went by?) a schedule and it went great! Saturday morning I first had a little bit of time with the Lord, and I think it kind of set the tone for the day. I also enjoyed my Saturday night Bible study and eating with them afterwards.

My Experiencing God Bible study starts at the church this Wednesday and I've been very excited. I am really struggling for some reason in the area of consistent times with the Lord, and I really believe this Bible study will help. Jesus is so worthy of my adoration and devotion ... and I love Him so much. Why is it so hard lately ... and for a while now ... to spend that quality time with Him? Oh, Jesus, help me! You know I love you!