In the Blink of an Eye

Here we are in the midst of summer and I am already asking myself where has summer gone?! What happened to those lazy days of past summers that seemed to stretch on forever? I guess it is true that the older you get, the faster time goes. However, I do think that part of our problem today is that we're just too busy. There are so many activities going on that we don't get the rest that summer is supposed to give us. But they are lovely things, pleasant things, good things even. I need to keep reminding myself to take time to enjoy a good sunset...and take pictures of it!

I am trying to remember what I did this past month and a half and I honestly don't remember too much right now! It could have something to do with the fact the I was up late last night hanging out at church with our neighbors because there was yet another tornado warning. We have had our share of nasty weather the last few weeks and though it is exciting at times, it can make a person tired out! Since we live on the second floor of an apartment building we go over to the church during bad storms. We have our routine down and know what things we will grab and bring with us. Those things that are most important to us. I bring my Bible with all my notes and underlining, my purse, my nice camera and my laptop that has all my pictures on it. Now you know what's important to me in life...but even if those things were all lost that would be okay - these are earthly things and in the grand scheme of eternity, don't really matter! What matters is my relationship with the Lord and that I am being transformed into His likeness each day.

Alright, it's coming back to me! The end of last month one of my college roommates and her family came to visit. It was so much fun to catch up with them and be Aunt Josie for a couple of days! Their two boys have grown so much since I saw them last year! We had a fun day climbing Hoffman Hills and avoiding the vultures that were waiting for us to die in the heat!

I have felt bad a lot lately. I have been pretty sore and I seemed to have developed some breathing problems. There was a night and a day several weeks ago where I was having such a hard time breathing. After a long trip to urgent care I got an inhaler to use and that seems to be helping some. I pray this is just a weather issue and that when the humidity leaves the breathing problems will go away too!

My big prayer request this month is for tomorrow. I go to the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, MN and see the specialist that I saw about a year and a half ago. When I was there last time, it was right after God blessed me with a great degree of healing and I was feeling pretty good. My doctor and I are hoping that now that I am feeling worse if he sees me again, he will be able to figure out more! Please pray with me that God would grant me favor and give wisdom and discernment to the doctor I will see. What I am really praying for is a diagnosis. That would be helpful in several ways. If I had a diagnosis I would know what I am dealing with and how to treat it better because what I am doing is helping, but it's not fixing it.

So I thank you in advance for your prayers and support. I pray you are having a wonderful summer and that you find time to rest, relax and get refreshed and rejuvenated for the fall!

Life is Golden

Hello Friends!

Last months blog was more serious, this one is probably going to be a little more fun than that! Life has been pretty good lately. Oh sure, it has its challenges, but all in all it's been pretty great. Here are some of the highlights...

A couple of weeks ago we closed the office down and took a staff development day. We went to the Science Museum of Minnesota and saw the Dead Sea Scrolls exhibit. That was pretty amazing! Part of me has wanted to be an archaeologist (ah yes, there are many things I have wanted to do in life!) so it was really fun to see so many artifacts from from a place that has always fascinated me. The Dead Sea Scrolls were AMAZING! It was so exciting to be able to see them. Some were just little scraps it seemed like, but others were bigger and looked almost as if they had been written yesterday. It was a great day with people I love. I am so blessed to be working where I am with some wonderful people!

My roommates and I were able to go and visit our former pastor and his wife at Big Sandy Camp last week and that was a blast! We had a great time with Tom and Lois and even though it was a short trip, it was much needed. I even milked a goat, my mommy was so proud of me (she used to raise goats before I came along and was an "unpredictable" baby)!

This month we also got a sofa, TV stand, curtains and another bookshelf! Our apartment is coming along quite nicely. I love my roommates and we haven't beat each other up yet (if you don't count the batteries that fell on my head one night)! It is great to live so close to work and to be on my own again.

Saturday I celebrated my Golden Birthday. I have been looking forward to this day for 29 years and it finally came! On Thursday my parents were quite sneaky...they filled my office with 29 ginormous golden balloons when I was at staff lunch. When we came back I could hardly get in my office! They even brought a cake - a happy little golden piggy and cheery golden sunflowers. It was a very fun surprise!

So it's been a good month. There were some discouraging days in there where I did not feel well at all and had to miss out on something that I had really been looking forward to. But God always pulls me through and I really am content and happy where I am and with what I'm doing. If He decides to heal me and move me along someday I will be happy to go, but for now I really am happy to stay. That's a big deal for me and I praise the Lord that He has brought me to this point in my journey with Him.

I pray you have all had a wonderful Memorial Day remembering those who have served and currently serve our country and remembering those loved ones that are no longer with us. Today I am especially remembering my grandpa and my aunt. They are loved and missed very much.

To Change Or Not To Change

That really is the question my friends. There has been a lot of change going on in my life these last several weeks. There will be more.

One big change is that I have moved. I am now living in Menomonie close to work. That is so very nice! I am slowly but surely getting moved in. My roommates and I made a lot of progress tonight. I got a bunch of pictures hung in my room and that always makes a place feel like home to me :-)

There are more changes going on in our church family. They are good changes, but difficult changes. No one ever said that change was easy, but it is necessary. When God tells a person to do something, they must do it. It's a matter of obedience. God has the best for us. We must give our best to Him. Some of you will know what I'm talking about, but many of you are probably confused. That's okay because the details don't really matter. What does matter is that this life is all about obedience and following God, wherever He takes you, or leaves you.

Monday through Thursday of this week I attended our C&MA District Conference in Green Bay, WI. It was excellent. We had a speaker from the National Office who talked about change. If we don't change and keep up with the times and reach out beyond our walls we will cease to exist. We are here to shine God's light into the darkest of places. It was a very challenging and encouraging conference. God really spoke to my heart. He had been the week before as well. I could feel things building up and I knew they had to come out soon or I would explode. You see, we just got done with missions conference the week before. It was excellent. We had wonderful people here to share about how God is using them and their teammates to push back the darkness in one of the darkest corners of our world. They challenged people to take the next step in obedience to God. Where would He have them go? What would He have them do? I wanted to jump up and down and say "I'll go, I'll go! Send me!" But I can't go. Not now. Maybe not ever.

You see friends, this is what I've been struggling with. What is always in the back of my mind and heart. I want to go to the ends of the earth. It is what I've always dreamed of. I want to go where no one has gone before and meet people that no one has met before and tell them that they are loved by their Creator and can have a personal relationship with Him. But for some reason God wants me here. I don't understand it, but I accept it. You see, what I have been learning is that it isn't all about missions. It's about obedience. I've shared with you before that most people need to come to the point where they are willing to sacrifice everything and go. I had to come to the point where I was willing to sacrifice my hopes and my dreams and stay. Do you know that there is not a hierarchy of spiritual actions? A person called overseas is not more spiritual than a person that God has called to a ministry in the US. I know that if I went overseas right now it would be a disaster because that is not where God wants me. He wants me right here. So here I am, walking in obedience even though I don't understand.

I know all this in my head, but every now and then it sinks a little deeper into my heart. That's when it gets hard. That's when I grieve and feel a deep sense of loss. I sing a song like "I Surrender All" and I bawl my head off. Then I seek the face of my Father in Heaven and I am content. I feel peace and joy because I know that I'm in the center of His will for my life. I also feel hope because I know that His ways are not my ways and that He has a perfect plan for my life. I hope because I know that this is what is best for me and that He is using it as a beautiful part of His plan for my life and this world.

So this is what I am learning. Sometimes the hardest change is not being able to change at all, but in obedience staying right where God has planted you! What is God calling you to?