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???

Phone-age

So, the guy, Justin, at Alltel is my hero for today. My brother and sister are on my account and we were all a little concerned about what this years phone bills would look like with me canceling mine, and them not having money, etc.

Let's just say, when I prayed for "favor", I was NOT expecting THIS. (Thus Eph. 3:21- "Now to Him who is able to do far more abundantly than all we ask or think...")

I went into the store anticipating paying $200 to cancel my plan for the year (yuck)- and never being able to get my number back. I was also anticipating having frustrated siblings-- that had to pay for their phone bill, or cancel their plan, or change numbers, or something.

As it turns out, my parents and I combined our plans (kinda wish we did this years ago), made mine a "shared line" and the bill is $1 less than what I normally pay every month-- so not only am I keeping my phone for $10 a month (which is cheaper than canceling the plan altogether!) but I get to keep my number, we're saving a bunch of money, I'll have a cell phone when I (hopefully) come home for Christmas, AND when I move back to the states!

Is that not UN-BELIEVABLE?!

I know this is a boring post, but I'm WAY excited about it...*shocker*

I know a bunch of you are praying for me- thank you so much!!! (And don't delete my number from your phone!)

web cam's set up!

Virginia so far

 
Dear, sweet Lindsay has sacrificed a ton to be here with me in Virginia. She's been in Orlando for a total of 4 days in the last like 3 weeks. What an insane blessing to have company in the car...
 
...even when she was sleeping. =)
 
We were greeted at my parents' by Drew, Gwen, and Michaela Ray. Gwen is David Powlison's daughter and was the one who introduced me to Sovereign Grace. I can't even explain to you the innumerable ways Gwen has been an example to me, served me, encouraged me, and shown Christ's compassionate love by her listening ear. Oh my Johnny.
 

Drew was my youth group leader for the last two years of high school, and then my "boss" when I worked as the Middle School director for my "in between year" in Virginia. They are extremely dear to my heart. They're moving to Pennsylvania the same day I leave for Wales. Drew will be taking classes at Westminster Theological Seminary. I cannot WAIT to see how the LORD uses this family!
 
Justin's played hockey all weekend-- this was Lindsay's first hockey game! Unfortunately they lost by one, but they had golden goal, overtime, a shoot out, and then sudden death. It was very intense.
 
We've been celebrating my mom's birthday all weekend- over and over again. How fun!
 
 

Lindsay made her famous lasagna- it was uh-mazing. She has served since the moment we got here!
 
Mommy opening cards and gifts.
 
This was our Sunday at Sovereign Grace Church in Chesapeake. We loved it. We were warmly greeted by MANY and will mostlikely have dinner with the Benson family (Peter Benson is going to Wales) tomorrow night.
 
Justin got a mohawk for about 20 minutes.
 

...just long enough to take pictures.
 
Lindsay has been searching for sunglasses like this for over 7 months. She found them right before the worship conference, and then somehow lost them before leaving the mall-- but we found another pair JUST like them. She is very excited. =)
 
We surprised my mom by having JJ and KT drive from Richmond for "family day" today. I made bbq and honey chicken, asparagus, and my mom's fave salad- with blue cheese and peppered almonds. Meghann introduced me to it. (As she's taught me pretty much most of what I know about cooking!) It's uh-mazing.
 
The cake! (Just be grateful you can't hear the horrible singing. Lindsay wasn't used to not hearing a 4-part harmony 'Happy Birthday.')
 

My sweet Mommy.
 

And then we practiced Lindsay's updo for being a bridesmaid in a month!

Wow. So that's not really even 1/2 of what's really happened. There's been a lot of laying out at the pool, LOTS of Olympics- (and being completely irritated by the gymnastics judging), laughing pretty much constantly-- mostly at how cute and encouraging my mom is, several trips to Harris Teeter for groceries, and some wonderful sleeping in. Lindsay's staying an extra night due to Hurricane Fay's arrival. Then, we'll have a few family days before Vanessa and Emy P visit from C'ville!!! Joy gets back from Young Life Camp at Lake Champion on Saturday night and I cannot wait to see her. I can't believe I'll be on a plane to Wales in a week...