Divine Orchestration

Sometimes I can't help but be utterly amazed at how absolutely perfect the Lord's plans are. I can't tell you how many times events have happened in a way that is so unique I would have never been able to plan myself. There's no doubt that the Lord's ways and timing are perfect and profoundly unique!

For life's latest example...

Let me set the stage for you. My precious husband and I are in the planning process of moving to the Dominican Republic. It's is a HUGE adventure and risk. There are moments when it would seem so much easier and secure if we just quit and settled for the "normal life". Well with every discouraging thought the Lord so graciously sends a bout of encouragement our way.

This past weekend we had the privilege of attending a wedding in Oxford, Maryland. Well, on Friday night before the wedding on saturday, my husband and I were slightly exhausted from the drive that day so we decided to lay low and hang out in the room. We just read the Word and I wrote in my prayer journal. That night I specifically lifted all the details of our move up to the Lord. I begged Him to lead us to His will. I asked that He might bring people across our paths that would help us in some way...

Now its Saturday, the day of the wedding, and Travis and I are so excited to be there. After the ceremony we make our way to the reception tent and randomly chose a table (there were no table assignments). A young couple sat down next to us. We struck up a light conversation with them and found out that they are moving to Haiti in September! If this was not a relationship sent straight from the Lord I don't know what is! How wonderful that they are moving to Haiti to do missions and we will be in the DR soon! I'm excited to see how we can get together and team up with them. Trav's and my dream is to start a business that could fund missions and an orphanage!

The Lord is so good to us.

He is our provider and I trust Him with our lives.

...

Sometimes I wonder why the journey of spirituality is so difficult. Why in some seasons it's so easy to yearn for Christ, and in others you are in constant reflection of the "zealous, super-eager Christian" you once were. Is it even possible to not go through the slow times? Or are they are imperative to our walks that we wouldn't grow at all if it wasn't for the deserts...

Well I'm over my desert. I want more. I want more of Christ. I want more wisdom & knowledge. I want more of who I'm supposed to be. I want more passion. and I want more love.

the remedy?

pursue even when the feelings aren't there.

So, here I go!

Digging in the Word today I read Jeremiah 17... Lo and Behold look what verse 5 says!

This is what the LORD says:
"Cursed is the one who trusts in man,
who depends on flesh for his strength
and whose heart turns away from the LORD.

If that's not the Lord reminding me that I must be in a continual pursuit of Him and not dependent on myself then I don't know what is! It goes on to say that this man will not recognize prosperity when it comes. This is huge for me too since my husband and I are at a point where we are just beginning and we so desperately want to be successful in whatever we do.

And then the Lord gently showed me reason number two why I should not neglect my spiritual walk... Check out verses 7-8

"But blessed is the man who trusts in the LORD,
whose confidence is in him.

8 He will be like a tree planted by the water
that sends out its roots by the stream.
It does not fear when heat comes;
its leaves are always green.
It has no worries in a year of drought
and never fails to bear fruit."

A-mazing! What a wonderful and glorious life it would be to have continual confidence. To not fret when storm clouds are in the near future. For we can hold the confidence that the Lord is working on our behalf!

And following truth number two rolls in truth number three. If I'm to live a different, sold out to Christ life my heart must be different. Check out verses 9-10--

The heart is deceitful above all things
and beyond cure.
Who can understand it?

10 "I the LORD search the heart
and examine the mind,
to reward a man according to his conduct,
according to what his deeds deserve."

That's a big chunk for me to grasp today. Oh I love when the Lord continually shows patience to me. I am so unworthy of His love but I desperately want more!

one more thing...

thought you might like to see a Virginia sunset...

Week Two

First week of classes, done!

First Paper, done!

First quiz, done!

I definitely hit the pavement running here! I'm busy busy with school work but learning SO much! I love all my classes (Revelation/Daniel, Acts, Genesis, Church History, and Women in Ministry).

Here's another update... as mentioned in earlier blogs I'm a fan of changed lives. I love them and the radically testimony they can give the world. Well, back in the summer the Lord told me to lay down my relationship with my boyfriend. It was hard but I knew it was the right thing to do at that time. During these few months apart the Lord totally rocked his world, transformed his life, and revealed so many things to him. It's so exciting to see it lived out! I'm a firm believer that the Lord, in his timing, will bless your obedience. Now, with his new perspective on life, and new found priorities, it gives me complete confidence in Him. As long as he's locked in to Christ, I am able to trust him and his leading. The Lord is SO merciful and gracious to us. He visited me this past week and set up a fun photo shoot... here's a few pictures.

Love you and miss you all!

Update for my precious family & adopted family at home :)

Well, I made it!

Just shy of 1000 miles later, here I am sitting on my couch in my new house. The place I'll call "home" for the next 9 months.

So I'm sure you're wonering "what's it like?" "are you excited" "are you nervous"... etc.

To be honest, about a week before I actually moved I started getting slightly... umm.. nervous. I began second guessing my decision and trying to evaluate if I was truly walking in obedience with the Lord. My desire it to keep my commitments, so despite these feelings I decided to follow through with the plan. Let me just tell you how good My God is. 15 hours is a long time in the car, alone. But, it was so peaceful and full of the Lords presence. I listened to one worship CD after another, singing my little heart out :) (Thanks Jo Lynn and Sharen!)

Something so amazing happened when I began getting close to Lynchburg. It was like an overwhelming sense of calmness and peacefulness swept over me. At this time the sun began to set and the half of the sky was brilliantly covered in the most beautiful pink, while the other half was midnight blue with a full moon set just so. It was breathtaking! There's something about the mountains and a sunset that bring me to my knees in awe of my creator. He is good! I am confident I'm where I'm supposed to be at this season of my life. There's nothing more comforting to know that you are choosing to let the Lord direct your steps.

By this point, I've been to three classes. My professors are amazing, but boy do I have my work cut out for me! I'll tell more about that later.

But, Until then-- I love you all and am praying for you! You can pray that I get a job and a place to minister/invest in others! I Know the Lord will provide.

Long time.

So I haven't written in over a month which surprises me because it's so theraputic for me. But, I think it stems from the vast lessons the Lord has been teaching me. For the past month I really have started getting a whole new perspective on life, the value of time, the importance of priorities, and the sacrafice of walking in obedience.

The first story the Lord let me see in another light this week was in Daniel 3. Many of you who grew up in church know how the story goes... King Neb. makes huge gold statue, he demands that his citiziens bow down and worship it, three men with crazy names stand up and refuse to obey him, they get thrown into the fiery furnace and the Lord saved them. It turns King Neb. heart and starts following the real God.

But, when I read the story verse by verse, soaking it all in, I saw things in such a different light!

First, King Neb. had quite the temper! It makes me think about how much harder it is to walk in obedince and stand up for right when you have a man quick to anger dealing with you. Me, being a people pleaser would probably hold true to my conviction but I would definately sugar coat my answers to him. I hate confrontation, I hate being a let down and disappointment, and I get uneasy around angry men. But how amazing is it that Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego simply respond to the King by saying "O Neb. we do not need to defend ourselves before you in this matter. If we are thrown into the blazing furnace, teh God we serve is able to save us from it, and he will rescue us from your hand. O King. But even if he does not, we want you to know, O King, that we will not serve your gods or worship the image you have set up". WOW!

I strive to live a life of obedience. But, do I handle my convictions with the grace that these men did? Can I just rest in the confidence of knowing that the Lord called me to act upon my conviction and let that be enough? I believe that response reflects whether I truly trust him or not...

is wisdom all it's cracked up to be?

Sometimes it's difficult to not look at another persons lot, and eagerly to desire what they have... atleast I know it is for me. Have many times have we complained that the wicked seem to always prosper why the upright never catch a break? Why is this?

I was reading in Ecclesiastes the other day, chapter 7 and I was completely consumed by King Solomons words. Chapter 7 is all about wisdom, the value of it as well as it's benefits. Initially I was aware that wisdom was something positive and it is something we should passionately pursue. However, I don't think I ever actually accepted the fact that wisdom is truly better than riches, than prosperity, than anything else that tempts to steal our efforts and time. Check out verse 12 it says, "Wisdom is a shelter as money is a shelter, but the advantage of knowledge is this: that wisdom preserves the life of its possessor." That blew my mind! Wisdom is a shelter like money is. Today you can't even survive without money, it provides our every physical need, from our nourishment, to our protection, clothing, etc. But, is it really true that we cannot survive without wisdom... more importantly do I pursue it like I believe it?