New Outlet?

I must say, I am absolutely loving this whole blogging thing - my family still thinks I'm crazy. My husband actually read it last night - he wouldn't post anything. He says this is good for me though, I need a new outlet so maybe I won't talk so much - lol; I really doubt that changes.

On Mission

So much is going on - I need to figure out how to get pictures uploaded on this thing. Our daughter is now in Denver, CO on a youth mission trip. I am missing her like crazy but fortunately, our youth pastor is updating his blog and keeping anxious parents like myself posted. His blog is listed in the margin as In the Mix. There is a picture of the whole group - our precious daughter is in the midst of the bunch; there is also a picture of her on our church website under the student ministry (that link is also in the margin).

I am so proud of her - this is her third trip to Denver; they mainly do servant evangelism - washing cars, passing out breakfast, cleaning out garages, shoveling rock, etc. Please pray for her safety/health and for all of the team to represent Christ and His love for all people. She was more nervous on this trip for some reason and I am having a tougher time with it also than usual. Ten days is a long time - I can not wait for her to be safely home but I am also anticipating the great things God is doing in her life and in her character - she is so much stronger than I was at her age.

I am also preparing to go on a mission trip to China in September - wow, it is coming up so fast. We have a team blog set up (When Love Takes Flight) and another one of our team members has a family blog (The Love of Family) - both listed in the margin. I am anxious, excited, scared - a whole lot of emotions wrapped up inside tightly. I am not an avid traveller, by any means, flying (really crashing) scares me to death so flying to China is really taking me out of my comfort zone. Sometimes, I am so elated with "Oh, wow, Lord, You are sending me to China! This is incredible!" to sheer terror, "Oh, wow, Lord, You are sending me to China? Really? Are You sure?" Of course, I know He is sure and I know He is going before me and will be with me. I want to truly take in every moment of this trip and grow in a much deeper, greater knowledge of who He is - for, really, I am going on mission with Him - the God of all Creation, who for whatever reason looked at that incredible land with its many people that He loves so much and then spun the globe around and looked down on me and my small team and said, "I want you to go" Wow. That is very humbling.

He Is!

I have really been praying about my prayer life - I know that seems a little ironic, but I have been struggling with unanswered prayers and just not feeling like I am connecting with God in my prayer time. This morning I got up and asked God to please help me with this struggle - I know He is there and I know He loves me but for some reason He is not answering me. Then in Sunday School this morning we were reading the last few verses in James and we were talking about prayer and how the prayer of the righteous man availeth much. Who is righteous? No one, only by Christ and His righteousness - what He has done on our behalf - do we become righteous. So the righteous man understands his place and who God is and what God has done; he is not looking at his circumstances or his filthy wretchedness, he is focused on who God is and His promises to us. In Hebrews 11:6 we are told that without faith it is impossible to please God, when we come to Him we must believe that He is - He is what? Everything He said He is - our Provider, our Sustainer, our Saviour, our Healer, our Comfort - He is our everything. What is the remainder of Hebrews 11:6? He is a rewarder of those that diligently seek Him - I must admit I have been seeking the reward, the answer to my problem -not Him. I have been looking at my own unworthiness, my own uncontrollable circumstances and I am missing Him. Sometimes, I think we are so focused on getting out of the wilderness that we miss the greatest experience of all - God - in the wilderness with us, walking with us, talking with us, but we don't listen and we don't see that He has something so much greater for us if we would just be still and know He is God.

Welcome

The kids think I am crazy for setting this up but I think it is a great way for friends and family to keep in touch with what is going on in our hectic lives. I am hoping we will all get on board, but my husband is the most skeptical of all so we will have to see.