No One like the God who rides on the heavens ... : )

"There is no one like the God of Jeshurun, who rides on the heavens to help you and on the clouds in his majesty. The eternal God is your refuge, and underneath are the everlasting arms." --Deuteronomy 33:26,27a

This is the memory verse some of us girls from my Bible fellowship class and I decided on for the week, over lunch and dear fellowship on Sunday. :) We're keeping each other accountable to memorizing Scripture each week ... and I have been so encouraged at how powerful, living and active God's Word truly is in my day-to-day life!

I know I was really blessed by this verse last night. Next week we'll be picking another verse ... anyone like to join us? :)

Song of Rest for a Weary Week :)

Give to the wind your fear
Hope and be undismayed
God hears your sighs and
counts your tears
God will lift up, God
will lift up, lift up
your head

Leave to His sovereign sway
To choose and to command
Then shall we wander on His way
Know how wise and how strong
How wise and how strong

Through waves and clouds and storms,
He gently clears the way
Wait because in His time,
so shall this night
Soon end in joy, soon end in joy.

God will lift up your head ...

(Jars of Clay: "God Will Lift Up Your Head")

Somehow this song just resonates with me today ... I had a really wonderful, memorable Thanksgiving weekend with my family, but somehow this week has been been kind of a tough one for me, and I find myself in need of rest and solace ... refreshment from my Savior. I know it's a busy time of the year for so many of us, but it's always been my favorite!

I LOVE the Christmas season, and I think the stressful times this week are a great reminder to take some time to sit back and rejoice in the One we celebrate this Christmas ... the One who will lift up our head and pour His words of refreshment into our hearts. How I praise the Savior that He is always with us ... and that He came to this earth around 2,000 years ago to be born in a stable ... to redeem us!

Shoes, Scripture verses and God's Manifold Provision

At our ministry's prayer meeting last night, the brother who was sharing encouraged and challenged us to write in a journal or notebook something for each day that God had done that we were thankful for. I thought, Wow, what a wonderful idea! And ... how fitting, too, with Thanksgiving almost here!

I thought I would include just a few things I'm grateful for over these past few days ... God has been doing much! :)

A few "snapshots":

*I had a wonderful time after church on Sunday, just taking a walk and enjoying God's creation at the nature preserve. I reflected on how I love being outside in nice weather, and wondered why I loved it so much. I realized that everything in creation points to Jesus ... The wind blowing, the sound of the leaves rustling ... the beautiful sky ... it has His fingerprint all over it! No wonder it's so exhilerating! :)

*Loved getting to chat with a friend from my Bible fellowship class last night ... and we decided to each pick a Scripture verse for both of us to memorize weekly, and keep each other accountable! I'm so excited! Last night the verse she picked really encouraged me, and a little while ago I received a message from her that she was able to use my verse to encourage several people God put in her path who needed it! Such a reminder that His Word is living and powerful ... It speaks to every area of our lives, and I know it wasn't by accident that those verses were picked for this week!

*Then, on "my way out" from the Cowboys watching party (it had been a long day ... in a good way, though!) I ran into another friend and we had a wonderful time as well, getting to catch up and pray for one another. We also enjoyed some great laughs ... because inevitably as we were talking there were moments where our voices sounded really loud. In our defense, the game on the big screen was pretty loud, so we were having to talk above it, and then there were suddenly these random moments where everything was quiet ... so our voices really stood out in the room! :-D We were laughging so hard over that ... and of course we'd kind of look around ... but people seemed pretty absorbed in the game, which was good. We figured no one even noticed ... until later when we told a friend who was walking out with us, and he grinned and was like, "Yeah, I heard y'all yelling over there!" :oD Good times! :o)


*Finally I have a shoe story! (Guys ... lest you think this is a girl story ... just give it a chance ... you might like it and learn something from it ... :))about the mysterious world of girls :) of course, even more, about God's provision and care in our lives!) So I was at the mall last week ... I had a coupon for two FREE truffles (who can resist that) at the Godiva store. I also had to make a return. As I walked by the DSW shoe store, I thought, I know I'd probably find a cute pair of shoes. But I have more than enough pairs of shoes and the last thing I need is to spend my money on a pair of shoes today! So I went on ... bypassing the DSW shoe store of course! :) Well, the following morning I found out about some shoes a volunteer was getting rid of and donating to whoever could use them at our ministry. Two pairs of the shoes fit me perfectly, and I liked them both and couldn't have picked better myself! :-) It may seem like such a small thing, but it reminded me in an incredible way of God's provision ... a provision I never would have seen if I had rushed ahead and impatiently tried to buy a pair of shoes myself! It's really amazing how He cares about even the "little" things ... and, in this case, an "extra" blessing because not something I absolutely needed ... and how HIS provision in every area of our lives is always perfect and best.

*Had such a good time of prayer with a friend this evening. She and I were both full of praises!

I have been thinking a lot today about how God is always working our lives and the lives of those around us ... how nothing is coincidence. I love seeing His hand at work ... I love how each day is a new day with Him, how He is always doing something. Isn't that cool?! :)

This Great Fall Season

So I haven't updated for a bit ... as I sit here listening to the David Crowder band and enjoying a nice Thursday evening, I thought it would be fun to write a bit in my blog. :)

Some highlights of the last few weeks since I've posted ...

* Continuing to enjoying the wonderful teaching and fellowship God has provided for me both at church and at the ministry where I work!

* Good times of laughter with friends

* Trying out fun new recipes in my crockpot. (I love cooking with my crockpot! I love that you can put something in there, turn it on low, come back hours later and have your meal ready. :)) It's probably one of my favorite methods of cooking.)

* A wonderful time of fellowship with a girl from my Sunday school class. I was so blessed by things the Lord had been doing in her life and showing her!

* Going to a scary movie night where, thankfully, the movie itself wasn't too scary and it was fun being with friends!

* Great weather, and long walks at the nature preserve, sometimes with friends, sometimes with my audio Bible ... a gift from a conference that I've enjoyed so much!

* Fun at Sonic last weekend with my Bible study group. (I even went home with a cool and educational toy from the kids meal! ;-D You can't beat that!)

* Being so refreshed, challenged and encouraged by my Philippians Bible study last night.

* Playing volleyball with friends in the church gym on Wednesday nights! :)

* Marveling at God's goodness and patience toward me. I love Him so much and am so grateful to know Him!

And now? I am getting excited about tomorrow ... It's Friday, and I'm looking forward to lunch with a good friend, and then we all get off a little early since it's prayer night. And I'm thinking about making oatmeal cranberry white chocolate chunk cookies to bring! It may depend on how much energy I have tomorrow after I get off work ... :)

What Is Your Dominant Intelligence?

I just took this quiz and thought it was interesting! You all should take it, too, and let me know what you get! :)

Honestly, I don't agree completely with all of mine by any means ... although at least the "enjoys writing" aspect does definitely sound like me. :o)

I enjoy writing in my journal and writing stories about missionaries at work, and I enjoy word games like Balderdash and remember loving to learn new words in junior high and high school! Some of my friends in college were surprised when my favorite classes were ones where you had to be involved in "creative writing", as those were often their least favorite!

Your Dominant Intelligence is Linguistic Intelligence

You are excellent with words and language. You explain yourself well. An elegant speaker, you can converse well with anyone on the fly. You are also good at remembering information and convincing someone of your point of view. A master of creative phrasing and unique words, you enjoy expanding your vocabulary. You would make a fantastic poet, journalist, writer, teacher, lawyer, politician, or translator.

What Kind of Intelligence Do You Have?

Jesus' Amazing Love

So much has been going on, it feels hard to konw where to start! Even though I am tired, I am full of gratitude to the Lord ... and marveling at His tender mercies that are new every morning.

A couple of weeks ago, I decided to take half a day off from work. I had something I needed to be at for the church, anyhow, and things had been busy and I thought the rest might be nice. It was an amazing time ... I couldn't have asked for better weather for my time off, and I got in some great Scripture and Piper reading outside by a creek ... and a nice, long walk!

I was so refreshed and encouraged in the Lord through that time. It was well worth it! Then I had some friends come visit me over last weekend ... We had such a nice visit together, I don't think their visit could have been timed more perfectly. It was just when I needed it most!

This past Sunday I was baptized ... I don't know if I could describe in words how the Lord ministered to me through that time. It was an amazing experience ... I felt so grateful and even more in love with the wonderful Savior I have known for so long now.

Last night in prayer meeting as we were all singing worship songs, a phrase from "How Deep the Father's Love" really stood out to me ...

"Behold the Man upon a cross,
My sin upon His shoulders ..."

Wow ... He did that for me! He went through excruciating pain for me ... and for YOU. He loves us that much. How indescribable and unfathomable is His love!

Perfect in All His Ways

God has been doing some pretty incredible things in my life lately to show me just how amazing are His ways! The first was this weekend when I had the chance to serve down in the Bonton community.

I was with a team of other women who were going and praying for different women in the community and encouraging them. We also prayed for a nearby school. And we wrote notes of encouragement to a woman going through some particularly hard times.

I loved agreeing with these women in prayer and could really sense the Lord's presence among us ... One of the highlights of this time for me was when we stopped at the house of a woman who was just about to go visit her son in prison. The awesome thing is that it sounds like her son is coming around and wanting to do the right thing ... the amazing thing in all of this was how perfect God's timing is. If we had been a few minutes later, she probably would have already headed out to go visit her son!

She told us we had just caught her ... and we could tell how much our hugs and prayers meant to her. :) My heart rejoiced to think of the perfectness of God's timing and ways ... and even now, I am so happy as I write this! :)

The second thing was this morning ... Once every week, our department goes through reports from the mission field to decide where each will be used. Well, there was one about one of our missionaries and his motorbike. It turns out the person who gathered that story just kind of "came across" it ... It wasn't one he was originally planning to cover, but we know now that the Lord brought it his way. Because we needed it for a very specific use ... for something we've never done before (motorbike appeal letter) and that he was unaware that we even needed at the time. But God knew ... how wonderful and unsearachable are His ways!

He is so amazing and good.

Sunny Fall Weather, Groceries and Prayers

This weather has been ... absolutely gorgeous ... no other words to describe it! Makes me want to own a laptop computer and just work outside all day long. :) Yesterday I was out walking in it after work. And it's Friday, and that means a weekend to enjoy some of this indescribable weather. :o)

I had so much fun running to the grocery store during my lunch break and grabbing ingredients for the new recipes (soups) I want to try this weekend. I love cooking ... there's just something about it! :) And while I'm cooking, I plan to have the windows open in my apartment to let in some of the great breeze outside!

There continues to be persecution in Orissa, and in fact it has now spread to Karnataka state. Yet the believers in these places have such a pure, sincere love for Jesus that is carrying them through. It's really incredible to me. They still need our prayers though ... Please do pray for them, especially for comfort for those that have lost loved ones for the sake of Christ.

They Know Jesus is Priceless ...

Hebrews 13:3 tells us, “Remember the prisoners as if chained with them—those who are mistreated—since you yourselves are in the body also.”

*I love that this Scripture is in the Bible. How timely and appropriate it is, given the things Christians were going through for Jesus’ sake back then . . . and the things they are still going through centuries later because of their love for the Savior.

How does this verse play out in my day-to-day life as I long to know Jesus more each day and see things through His eyes? I know that I want to be faithful in lifting up the needs of the persecuted Church to Him . . . as well as the hearts of those who still need to know Him. Prayer … whether for His work across the globe or in the lives of those around us … is such a privilege, as a friend reminded me last night. I know my own faith is often greatly strengthened through prayer.*


*During prayer meeting the other night, we saw pictures portraying some of the suffering being experienced by believers in Orissa. Images flashed across the screen, bringing a face to the horrific suffering people are facing for their Christian faith. Pictures of houses and churches burned down. Or pictures of groups of believers fleeing their villages to seek refuge in the forests, or the ones living in little tent cities. One image of far more horrific suffering was omitted because they felt it would be too graphic to show for a family audience.

I was deeply moved and my heart went out to the believers, especially as I saw the pictures of them being driven from their homes to hide out in the forests and others who were living in tent cities. Seeing these made me think of the passage in Hebrews 11 that tells us Abraham dwelling in tents because he knew this world was not his home. That chapter goes on to list some of the suffering of the believers in the early church, telling us that they joyfully accepted the plundering of their possessions, knowing they had better and lasting possessions in heaven.*


*I think their perspective amazes me. We live in a fallen world with many perspectives that are vastly different from those of Christ’s kingdom. I think of that verse in Isaiah that tells us that His thoughts are so much higher than ours.

I know that in my own life … whatever may be going on around me, whether in Orissa, or in the lives of those I love around me … or in my own life at times … it is vastly comforting to know that God’s ways are higher, more grand, than anything we could ever think up for ourselves.*

****Think about Orissa, where six believers … people with not much as far as this world, but with a simple faith in Jesus and heartfelt love for Him … have given their lives. And thousands of families are still hiding in the forests as the beatings and burnings of homes/churches continue.

... or the dear friend from my college church who watched her husband die of terminal cancer . . . all the while both of them clinging to Jesus and His Word whatever the outcome. I received this incredible email from them not long before he passed away, while he was in hospice care.

… We love you and thank you for praying for us and trusting God with us. His display of love for us is exceeding abundantly above all we could ever ask or think. Steve looks more and more like the man described in Jeremiah 17:7,8 as he trusts God completely …

When I asked her how I could pray for her in the months following her husband’s death, her prayer request blew me away! It was not for herself but instead, she asked for prayer that she could shine the light of Christ in his workplace (after his death she began working there full-time to support herself), continuing the work that he had started as he witnessed to co-workers before his death. It reminded me of the stories we've heard of widowed missionary wifes continuing to reach out and share the Gospel in areas where their husbands had served.


*Whether in the Church across the globe, or in the lives of those around me … I see so many incredible examples of the worth of Jesus. That is He is so worthy and infinitely priceless . . . I truly can’t imagine this life without knowing Jesus!

Those of us who know Jesus, may we always remember the worth of Jesus and the amazing thing He did for us on the Cross . . . and His incredible, sustaining grace in each of our lives for each new day … whether we are going through difficult times like some dear people are that I know … or whether we’re simply have a day where we’re maybe tired and discouraged. Praise Jesus that He is always with us and is our everlasting portion! And may we be faithful to intercede for our brothers and sisters in Christ in other parts of the world. (This webpage has a link to stories of believers' faith amidst persecution ... and prayer requests for the persecuted Church in each story.)

And … for any of you reading this who don’t know Jesus yet … from my heart I would encourage and challenge you to consider Him who is so worthy that men and women in Orissa would give their lives for Him . . . and other Christians throughout the centuries as well. I promise you won’t regret it!

Amazing Faith in other Countries Amidst Persecution

Persecution has been on the increase in various parts of Asia, and I thought I would share a little about it and just a few of my personal reflections on it ...

Precious lives have been taken in Orissa this week... martyred for Jesus' sake. My heart hurts for the family members they leave behind. Yet, too, I know that those who are martyred are in a glorious place ... in heaven with the Savior they loved so dearly while they were still on this earth. And I was reminded just now of Romans 8:18 ... "I consider that our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us." (NIV)

I can't even begin to imagine the things believers in so many other countries endure for their love for Jesus. Yet being part of a missions organization, I have seen two incredible threads common throughout so many of the persecution reports ...

First, along with the persecution in other countries, Christ's church is growing and flourishing in the midst of it! And second, those experiencing persecution so often show incredible courage, love, and forgiveness in the midst of it. It is an amazing thing to me! I know this is not of them (for in our flesh dwells no good thing), but a work of Jesus in them ... and it has to be an amazing testimony of the Gospel to those who are persecuting them.

I remember a while back when I was reading Hearts Afire, a book published by Voice of the Martyrs ... as I read the stories of incredible faith in the lives of people in other countries who were willing to risk so much for their faith in Jesus, I was greatly encouraged and strengthened in my own faith.

I feel challenged to pray more faithfully for our Christian brothers and sisters in other countries whose lives so inspire me. What a privilege it is that we can play a part in the labors of these precious brothers and sisters, even though they are on the other side of the world. How amazing God is to allow us to play a part in His redemptive work, whereever we are! I am grateful.

[As I was finishing up this post, the song "I Can Only Imagine" started playing on my headphones ... I can't help but think, How appropriate. For those six precious believers who gave their lives for Jesus in Orissa this week ... they are now in the presence of Jesus. Wow!]

A Memorable August 14

I had a birthday recently, and it made me incredibly grateful ... again and again ... for the great people God has surrounded me with! From people decorating my cubicle at work to making marble slab cheesecake (yum!!!) for me for our department celebration, to a yummy team lunch at Schlotsky's to calling me or posting a Facebook note to wish me a happy birthday ... to cooking delicious Indian food for me and another friend whose birthday is close to mine ... not to mention the amazing party some dear friends threw for me Friday evening. I was truly touched and honored that they would want to throw me a party ... and by all the hard work that went into it! They were so creative ... one of them made a cake in the shape of a pair of flip-flop sandals. I loved it. :o)

And the girls had decided it would be a dress-up party ... which is why I was very surprised and a bit flustered when I walked in the door dressed rather casually ... But they came to the rescue with a dress one of them had "borrowed" from me earlier that week ... it was waiting for me for the party! :) She also gave me a beautiful pearl necklace as a present and to wear for the evening!

From start to finish, I had a wonderful birthday ... I think perhaps my most memorable yet! I can't begin to describe how grateful I am for the amazing people the Lord has blessed me with in my life and the warmth and care they have shown. Thank you to everyone who made my birthday so special .... y'all know who you are! :)

Cinnamon Rolls, Popcorn, Fellowship

Our department enjoyed some cinnamon rolls this morning for one of our co-worker's birthdays. They definitely hit the spot, especially since I hadn't eaten anything for breakfast. ;-)

I had a friend in the area for the weekend who asked if she could stay with me. I was like, "Sure!" :) She was catching up with some relatives and friends in the area for a good part of the weekend and I had a few things going on as well, so it worked out well that we could come and go as worked best for us ... But last night we did "reconvene" to hang out and catch up. It was a nice time of chatting, watching a movie (complete with popcorn!!!) and praying for each other. I am sleepy today, but glad for the time we were able to share. I love such times of fellowship.

I have so much been enjoying getting to know the young women interning at GFA over the summer. Anna's last day of her internship was Friday, and Erin's is tomorrow. They will be missed! I have been so grateful for the chance to get to know each of them (and Hannah and Jessica!!) and will be in prayer for the Lord to continue to lead their lives. I'm so glad they could come here and spend part of their summer laboring with us all here ... their lives are impacting Asia. :)

It's the little things I cherish ...

I think sometimes it's the "little" and thoughtful things in life that I love the most ... you know, those times when someone puts a candy bar on your desk for "no reason" other than that they thought of you and thought you would enjoy it ... or someone writes you a really encouraging note that came at just the right moment for a time you're going through ... You know, stuff like that. :)

Last night was so much fun. I hung out with Hannah, Erin, Anna and Jessica ... summer interns here at GFA who have quickly become great friends ... they're pretty much awesome. :=) Anyhow, we had a blast going out to Stonebriar Mall and eating in the food court there, and walking around and shopping.

We all were walking around the food court, trying to decide what we each wanted. I think I took the longest to decide ... (food decisions are hard ... so many great choices there!) and ended up with Rollerz. Some of you know that I have been trying not to drink soda for a while ... I thought it would be hard for me since I love soda, but overall it's been surprisingly easy so far.

Well, most combo meals come with a soda ... but Rollerz had this awesome combo with one of their wraps and a small smoothie. Needless to say I was a happy camper, with my strawberry banana smoothie and santa fe chicken goodness. It may seem like a small thing, but it was just really a fun surprise. :)

I have been having a terrific week ... remember how I shared on Monday how I had been battling an unusual amount of discouragement for several days or more, but also how the Lord had given me a new perspective through my time of prayer with a friend. Well, a little later in the evening I realized the Lord had completely lifted my discouragement. I was so grateful! I believe He will do the same for any of y'all who may be going through discouragement, too ... just keep seeking Him. :)

Jesus is incredible ...

I shared yesterday some of the struggles the Lord has been allowing me to go through lately ... Ever since maybe Friday of last week I have felt incredibly tired and seem to be going through an unusual amount of discouragement ... yet today, as I was praying with a friend I always meet to pray with after work on Mondays, I suddenly started praising God and felt lifted above the pain.

I rejoiced because Jesus was giving me a whole new perspective, the perspective I was reminded of yesterday. I am so grateful! It's amazing how prayer and praise can change our trials into rejoicing. I would not in my natural human flesh choose to go through hardships and trials in my life ... Yet even these hardships and trials are dear friends to me, for anything that draws me closer to the feet of Jesus is my friend. More than anything, I want to know Him more. I love Him so much.

It is a busy week ... I am finishing up some stuff around the apartment tonight to get ready for out-of-town company tomorrow evening ... as well as running to the store to get some fresh fruit. :) And hopefully getting a nice walk in there somewhere, too. :) Then later in the week, I am hoping to hang out some with some of our summer interns ... great young women that I've been enjoying getting to know during their time here. :) Then on Friday evening is extended prayer here at GFA.

I thank the Lord that He is with me each step of this busy week ... I am hoping my out-of-town guest, Rebecca, will get to come for some of prayer tomorrow evening, if she's not too tired from her long drive to Texas ... this prayer meeting is just two hours, unlike Friday, which is our all-night prayer. :-D

Jesus is everything ...

This morning in my Bible fellowship class at church, I received a very timely reminder. I was so excited as I wrote down some of the truths the teacher was sharing, truths that felt so applicable to my life right now.

I realize I have so much to be grateful for ... so many blessings in my life and God has been so good to me ... I just somehow have found myself over these past several days feeling unusually tired ... a bit overwhelmed ... discouraged. I know we all have days that are more challenging than others ... I would say these last several days have been some of the most challenging I've experienced for some time ... and not sure totally why? I guess I have, for one thing, had a lot on my plate lately ... but I can trust that the Lord will not give me more than I can handle! And we're told in God's Word, in 1 Peter 4:12,13, not to be surprised at hard days .... that we will experience those in our lives, and also that we can rejoice in getting to (in a very small way at least) share in Christ's sufferings.

And my teacher this morning brought out some awesome truths ... definitely timely reminders for me. He talked about the Apostle Paul and how His attitude toward suffering was, "If it makes me more like Jesus, bring it on!" He reminded us that Paul's all-consuming passion was knowing Jesus ... and if suffering brought Him closer to Jesus, He rejoiced in it. (Romans 8:16,17; Philippians 3, verses 10 and following) He also talked about how some of Paul's very last words to Timothy were about the Gospel. The Gospel, he reminded us, is not just for our salvation ... it is ALSO for the trials we face in our day to day lives ...

The Gospel--that Jesus Christ would die an excruciating death of the Cross to pay for our sins--forever settles God's love for us. And this love is fixed and constant. Whatever trials we go through in life fade away when looked at against the backdrop of the Cross.

Praise the Lord ... I find that when I'm reminded that Jesus is everything, I am given a whole new perspective that encourages me, regardless of how overwhelmed I may feel or what may be going on around me. I am grateful.

A Good Week and a Heart Filled with Thanks

It's been a busy week, but also a good one. :) There have been a couple of days where I've stayed a while after finishing up a writing project ... but I've enjoyed it. I have been thinking lately of how grateful I am for my job. I think I've had many moments over the last number of months where I took it for granted and saw more the harder aspects of it than the privilege it is.

I enjoy what I'm getting to do, I love the people I work with, and most of all, the Lord is allowing me to help reach people in Asia through it! It amazes me that the Lord would call me to do something I have enjoyed so much from as far back as I remember (writing) along with a burning desire He gave me from my childhood (seeing people reached with the Gospel!). Thank You, Lord. :)

May He get all the glory ... for none of it belongs to me. It's ALL about Him. It amazes me that He would call me to serve Him ... I know I still have so far to go in my Christian walk, yet He is so patient with me. ;)

I think we all can get discouraged at times or take things for granted, so it's always so refreshing to be reminded of God's incredible provision in our lives. At different times last week, I felt myself tested in the area of trusting in the Lord and His ways.

I was struck with the contrast between human ways of doing things and God's way. The Lord enabled me by His grace to make a conscious decision to trust Him and be faithful in what I knew to do, even when it felt a little hard. As I stepped forward in that trust, I felt incredible peace and rest in Him ... I felt that I no longer needed to strive ... I could just faithfully do what He had set before me and called me to, but beyond that, just BE ... no more striving. :) Then, He confirmed what He had shown me through His Word, a Christian book and the lesson in Sunday school this past weekend, as well as allowing some great encouragement to come my way.

I was so encouraged today to get an email from a co-worker mentioning that some Gospel for Asia supporters had given to provide a well in response to a lot of the emails and PhotoShows that had recently gone out that reported back the eternal fruit God is bringing through these wells. Well, I thought about it a moment and realized I had worked on some of those emails and PhotoShows, such as this one! It's so encouraging to me to think that I could be part of people being ministered to and hearing about Jesus on the other side of the Lord. Praise the Lord.

I wanted to share this Scripture passage that so encouraged me when I read it recently ... I think it relates to what the Lord has been showing me lately!

"There is no one like the God of Jeshurun, who rides on the heavens to help you and on the clouds in his majesty. The eternal God is your refuge, and underneath are the everlasting arms ..."
--Deuteronomy 33:26,27b

Beef stir fry, Mango Pickle and God's Grace

Sitting in the outdoor patio at work today in the warm weather, enjoying some beef stir fry, mango pickle and rice from our ministry cafe, I felt like I was transported back to India as I cherished the company of two dear brothers from our ministry in Asia. It brought back memories from the time I spent there in 2004. How amazing the joy of the believers was! I still remember Gretch, the woman in the poverty-stricken slum area who ran up to us with this bubbling joy she could hardly contain, proclaiming "Jai Ma Siki" ("Praise to Christ" in her language).

This whole past weekend at our ministry's Renewing Your Passion missions conference has been surreal in some ways ... yet, at the same time, I know more real than anything I could experience on this earth. For I was reminded of the worth of knowing and following Jesus ... of how 100 years from now, the only things I will have to show for my life here on this earth are those things that will last for eternity. I was deeply challenged to cry out to Jesus in my heart, more than once, "Rid me of me! Fill me with You." I want to be poured out for His sake ... I was thinking, if He is my Savior and gave His very life for me, what is too much for me to do for Him? Not in any way to earn my salvation, because that was already purchased for me through His redemptive blood at Calvary ... I rather want to serve Him, out of gratitude and love for Him. I know I have so far to go in having a fully surrendered life, holding nothing back, but o how I long for such utter abandonment to Jesus. I love Him so much.

The time at the conference was also an amazing time of fellowship ... whether laughing with my roommates and new friends I made, or praying with and being able to encourage our supporters who are such a blessing and have given so much to help spread the Good News of Jesus in Asia. All in all, this whole past weekend was incredible and reminded me of what a privilege I have to get to serve Jesus to reach some of the most unreached and see lives transformed in wonderful ways by His grace ... a privilege that I am unworthy of and don't want to ever again take for granted.

Right after the conference, I got to go to lunch with a dear friend who had come down for the weekend. It was great catching up some more with her and sharing some more of what the Lord had taught us at the conference ... over yummy turkey pizza at Schlotsky's. :-)

May I never forget the things I learned and was reminded of this weekend ... Oh, Jesus, may my life never be the same again.

Church, Nice Sunny Days and Rollerskating

So this afternoon I did something I haven't had opportunity to do for quite some time ... rollerskating! Back in the day, when I was in junior high/high school, I LOVED to go rollerskating. They would have Christian skate night at the local skating rink ... which just happened to be very close to my house. It was a great deal to skate on Christian skate night ... $1.25! :)

And, thanks to a friend of mine, I found out about another great deal, at the skating rink not too far from where I live now! On Sunday afternoons through the end of August, it's just $3.00 to skate from 2 to 6 p.m. I went with a friend today, and another friend met up with us there, and I think we're going to try to get our Sat. night Bible study group together to go sometime. Wahoo! :) Skating is always something I've enjoyed a lot.

After skating, I ended up at the nature preserve walking. I heard a snake slither in the grass and screamed SO loud!!! (I never saw it, but am reasonably sure it was a snake ... ;-)) Later I saw an armadillo cross the path ahead of me. That was fun!! Then I went to Wal-mart to get ... smoothie ingredients, shampoo, etc. Amazing how much energy I've had today! Definitely not complaining, since it's been a couple of weeks since I've had even close to this much energy! ;-)

We sang patriotic songs in church this morning ... great fun! :) Oh, and the message in Sunday school was so good. He read some verses from Isaiah 44 and reminded us all of how Jesus is the only One who truly satisfies. What a great reminder ... I am finding myself reminded more and more of that lately. :)

A Post for 4th of July!

Just a quick post today, to say ... Happy 4th of July, everyone! I spent part of it with folks from work. A family had everyone over to their house. I played some volleyball and hung out and talked with folks. Then I went walking at the nature preserve for a bit. :) I seriously love that place!

Tomorrow I am meeting some girls for lunch and Bible study ... we do that often on Saturdays and it's been so nice! Then tomorrow evening is my Bible study at church ... yay! :) I love those folks!

The series Chris has been going through has been so good, too ... basically bringing out a bunch of great Scriptures and reminding us of how amazing Jesus is ... and how our number one pursuit in life should be to know our Savior more deeply. I am so thankful for Jesus ... for the constant He is in my life! :)

Jesus is Renewing My Heart ...

Yesterday after work I had the opportunity to pray with another friend ... we meet regularly to encourage and pray for one another! It was amazing how my perspective had changed by the end of our time. I felt rest and joy in the Lord even in my weariness. It was great!

This morning our staff had a meeting about our upcoming Renewing Your Passion missions conference. As the meeting progressed, I found myself getting more and more excited about this time! It is next weekend, and I can't wait! :) I am looking forward to this time to fellowship with other believers and reach out to our donors and sponsors.

Just now I've been working on an email and PhotoShow about one of our missionaries who was beaten and publicly humiliated for loving Jesus ... just one of many of our missionaries who have suffered persecution. I was especially moved by his story when I realized he is very close to my age. It's touching to think of him going through such suffering at such a young age, yet it was also incredible to read about some of the amazing things God has done through his ministry in Orissa. An elderly couple was rescued from suicide when the Lord brought him into their path ... and they received Jesus as Savior! Praise the Lord. Just as this verse promises, truly this missionary's labor in the Lord is not in vain!

I so often am encouraged and strengthened in my own faith when I hear such stories of the amazing courage and perseverance of our Christian brothers and sisters in other countries.