Re-packing. And packing again.

 
 

My sister, Joy, is amazing. She just made ALL of my stuff fit in ALL of my bags- I can't believe it. Miracles happening over here.

So...I'm off to Wales in the morning! It's finally HERE!

I'll meet Peter at the airport at 10:40a and our flight leaves at 12:47p for D.C. We'll meet up with the Charlotte folks and fly to London at 6:40p tomorrow evening.

I'm planning on wearing my favorite jeans and I'm really excited about it. =) You know, the ones with the "love holes" in the knees.

We'll get into London at 6:30a Wales time on Tuesday (about 1:30a here), go through customs for about an hour, and then CRASH when Dan comes to pick us up. We're having dinner at his house that night.

Please pray that I would fight for joy in the midst of travel, carrying heavy bags, tiredness, hunger, and probably many "change of plans". I want to bring glory to the Savior even in those mundane parts of these next several days- not being consumed with myself or worshiping comfort. It's not about me. My life's not about me. This trip's not about me. My life has been purchased. It is not my own. It was bought with a price- and the price was the life of the only Perfect One who ever walked this earth. His love for me cost Him everything- and I want to live my life forever pointing others to this MOST GLORIOUS NEWS! We can have relationship with GOD through the atoning work of Jesus Christ! Rejoice! Rejoice! Rejoice!

Happy Birthday, Ariel!!!

Since this trip to Wales wouldn't be possible without Ariel, I found it appropriate to honor her via blog. =)

Anyone who knows Ariel knows she's "THAT" kind of friend. She has innumerable times, sacrificed her time, desires, and preferences to serve me when I'm struggling. She loves being willingly inconvenienced to be a blessing to someone else. She prays for me almost as much as my MOM. (WOW!) She encourages me every time we talk telling me what a blessing our friendship is to her and how she sees God working in my life...and she uses specific examples. I'm not exaggerating when I say every time. I really mean EVERY time. She's the friend that raises $1300 for you to move half way across the world-- because she wants to support you in whatever you're doing...even if its the opposite of what she wants.

She loves TRUTH. She loves applying truth to her life. She has a listening ear to hear ways she can grow or better serve others even when that's not what's being discussed. She responds humbly to correction. She brings correction humbly. She longs to grow. To be changed. To help.

She's the friend that notices that you don't do well without a lot of sleep (or food =)- and instead of telling you to "get over it", she seeks to make sure you're able to get rest (or eat), and serve you in whatever way to make it easier for you to overcome the temptation to be short or harsh.

She tells every story the same. With the "OH NO!" expression as her hands curl and move towards her mouth and she lifts her right knee. And every story is just as dramatic as the one before. Always ending in uproarious laughter from the hearers, and usually with an unintentional dirty joke she makes...and then she covers her face.

She's the friend that will shove you into the men's bathroom on a cruise(don't worry, it was just one stall) as you're puking to make sure you make it to the toilet in time...or close enough.

Ariel is all blond. 100% Miami. Completely crazy and super FUN. Everything's an event. And if she brings her camera...WATCH OUT. There will be pictures of wallpaper, trash, light fixtures...you name it. (Right, Amy?)

She steals drinks from bars on cruises, gets hit on by guys who like her A LOT, has more embarrassing jokes being apart of a Worship Team than I've ever heard of before, and most importantly, is a friend Biblically defined. She is an answer to many prayers.

Ariel, I love you so much and pray that this year is full of JOY as you continue to position yourself to obey the LORD and whatever He has for you. He is not with holding any good thing from you!!! I anticipate many emails and phone conversations about our hearts, sin, and the abundance of God's grace this year!

Vanessa and Emily!

My amazing Charlottesville friends came to visit me for a night!

Vanessa has been one of my closest friends for almost a DECADE now. Wow, that makes me feel so old. She has dreamed with me, been through the highest ups and lowest downs in life so far, and always has been just a phone call away. We've spent hours laughing at ourselves, probably thousands of dollars in gas back and forth from the houses we grew up in, and spent the night at each other's houses more than any other person in my life! I love you, Vanessa. I'm so glad we got to see each other before I go.



Emily and I first met when I babysat for her when I was like 12. =) In my "in between year" in Virginia she was one of my dear middle schoolers at Christ Community. We've kept in touch, and she came to visit me in Orlando in February for her birthday! I love our coffee dates, emails and phone calls. Em, I love watching the LORD pursue your heart. It's amazing the convictions you have at such a young age. I love you, sweet girl. I look forward to keeping in touch this year!



This is Emily pretending she saw the Jonas Brothers outside. Oh my.

GAP blog

Meet my team members and learn a little more about who we all are and what we're doing.

2 days and counting!

GAP blog

Humanness

 

I know what you're thinking: "Two posts in one day? That's a little excessive..." But LIGHT has been shown! I must talk about it!

This is my dear, treasured friend, Amy Roberts from Richmond. She once was in an extended season of what I've been struggling with the last couple days, so I called her this morning. Isn't it amazing how we can tell ourselves the Truth over and over and over again, working hard to embrace it with faith, and when someone else says it worded another way, or with different experience behind it, we hear it totally differently?!

That is what happened. Amy gently reminded me of my humanness. Her counsel is always bursting with REALITY and humility.

She set my eyes on WHO GOD IS. And encouraged me to stop looking at my own unfaithfulness. As she explained how she deals with her own struggles, I was so affected by the leaning she does when she's battling lies. Leaning on the LORD. Knowing He will be faithful to her. No attempt to "pull herself up from her boot straps." Oh, I have so much more to learn from her. What a gift our seemingly "random" friendship is.

My mind has been washed afresh with the Truth that my walk with the LORD is not about me. And its not about my performance.

REJOICE! REJOICE! REJOICE!

Funny Feeling

I'm not sure what's going on. I don't know if I'm under spiritual attack, or I'm living with unknown un-confessed sin, or if I'm merely out of my routine, but something is just not "right".

I journaled for a while last night, was in prayer, and read- and the only thing I could come up with to "diagnose my soul" was that I needed to be in the Word more, praying more (while not being legalistic- knowing this does not earn my standing before God "for the day"), and not be ruled by my emotions. I don't know that I've felt this "distant" from the LORD in years. The Gospel Primer has been a wonderful source of encouragement over the past several weeks, and I continue to pray that these truths would not become so familiar that I'm unaffected by them. I WANT TO BE AFFECTED! I want to FEEL conviction, I want to FEEL joy, I want to LONG for change.

I'm resting in the glorious truth that Christ was tempted in EVERY respect as I am tempted-- yet without sin. He does not stand far off from my weakness, but sympathizes with my weakness.

I have been very aware of my inadequacy, my weakness, my failings, etc. And each time I rehearse them, I tell my heart to REJOICE. It is GOOD that I feel so weak. Until I am aware that I'm weak, God cannot use me. And my weakness is PERFECTED in His strength.

These truths just seem way too good to be true right now, so I am rehearsing them often:

1. My justification has everything to do with CHRIST'S death and life and does not change based on my "success" or "failure" in overcoming sin, NOR is it affected by my emotions.

2. I cannot smuggle ANY "good works" into my salvation. It is all of Him. None of me.

3. He has PROMISED to complete the work He's begun in me.

4. He who promised, is faithful. (Thanks, SJ, for reminding me of that!)

3 more days left in the country! =)

WHAT!? That's not a sport!!!

Ok, so who else has been surprised by sports that are in the Olympics? Ping pong has always surprised me. But just now, literally moments ago- I witnessed the most awkward looking, hilarious "sport" I've ever seen or heard of:

Competitive walking.

That's right, walking. Not sprinting, not jogging. There are actual RULES.
"Race walking is a progression of steps so taken that the walker makes contact with the ground so that no visible (to the human eye) loss of contact occurs. The advancing leg must be straightened (i.e., not bent at the knee) from the moment of first contact with the ground until in the vertical upright position. One would think by now this definition would be concrete, but in practice, it is fairly subjective."

It looks like waddling from side to side with arms pumping excessively fast. Their legs look like the curve at the sides-- its so strange!

Is anyone else totally thrown by this??? Have you seen it???