Grief and Hope

Recently my former youth pastors lost their baby boy. The funeral was today, and I can't really wrap my mind around it all yet. It was so incredibly sad, and yet...there was a sense of hope. It is amazing really, we know that God has a plan, and He is faithful, and He loves us, no matter what happens in our lives. I will never forget hearing that youth pastor stand up at his own son's funeral and say those very words. And I don't mean just say them, but believe them with his whole heart.

There's a song that I'm reminded of by Kathy Troccoli, and the chorus says this:

But there will be a time
When I'll see your face
And I'll hear your voice
And there we will laugh again
And there will come a day
When I'll hold you close
No More tears to cry
'Cause we'll have forever
But I'll say Goodbye for now

65 days and counting...(or something close to that)

At Walgreens today I saw the strangest juxtaposition of merchandise: Halloween "Scream" masks, and Christmas ornaments.

As much as I really don't like Halloween in general, the Christmas decorations really threw me for a loop. It's not even November!

Just kidding! :-)

So now that Walgreens has their Christmas merchandise in, does that mean I can start playing Christmas carols??

An old grudge

Did you ever carry a grudge? A past hurt, something that you just never were able to let go of? One of those things where you know that person probably forgot, or didn't even know, that what they did or said was hurtful to you?

Well, a few weeks ago I ran slap into one of those people. The funny thing is, I thought I'd let it go. But as soon as I first saw them, all of those past memories bubbled up to the surface. Not good. So I did what any self-respecting normal human being would do...I avoided them like the plague. It's not something I'm particularly proud of.

Of course, God didn't let me get away with that one, no sir-ee. Today I met up with a group of friends and there was this person.

Oh Lord, do I have to deal with this now?

You know what His answer was? "Yep, you do."

Okay, I surrender all of this to You. I forgive this person...it is time. It's been more than 15 years, and that's pretty sad when you consider I am only 24. And let me tell you, I feel lighter already. It was almost instantaneous.

Is there anyone in your life that you need to forgive or anything you need to let go of? What relationships in your life are hindered because of unforgiveness?

Moldova

I am so excited! Mom is in the middle of her very first missions trip! She and several other women from the MN AG are in Moldova for about the next week and a half. They are there to serve alongside Andy and Nancy Raatz, and help them set up a home for women recovering from prostitution trafficking.

This is a huge problem in many Soviet-block countries. We as Christians can make a difference. Many of these women feel completely hopeless, and we can offer the best hope there is, the hope that comes from Jesus Christ. If you are interested in learning more, check out these websites:

http://www.moldovamissions2007.blogspot.com
http://www.harvestmoldova.org

God is doing amazing things in Moldova, and we can partner along in prayer!

I love my job!

Most of you know that I work nights with a 9 month old girl. She is absolutely adorable, as you can see!
:-)

But, she is in for a rough time come this December. On December 5th she'll be going in for major reconstructive surgery on her trachea. This is huge because she'll no longer have a trach in her neck, and hopefully she'll grow up relatively normally from this point forward.

It's also scary though, it means a week in a medically induced coma and a month long hospital stay. Would you pray for her with me? I think she and her family will need all the prayer and support they can get.

Weddings

Funny how attending a wedding gets a girl thinking about her own. How you would do your hair, what your dress would look like, if you would cry...and usually you end up just wishing it was you.
But this particular wedding made me think about even more than that.
There was a time, not too long ago, that all I was thinking about was how lonely I was. Wishing I had a boyfriend...you know the routine. My relationships with my married friends, and even some of the single ones became strained. Was I jealous? Maybe. Not exactly a healthy or Godly frame of mind to be in.
Which brings me to Sarah and Andrew, not meaning to sound cheezy, but they just might be the world's most perfect couple. And, believe me, I was somewhat envious...at first. After their wedding on Saturday I realized something very important. Sarah and Andrew are not together because they spent their lives looking around for a spouse, they are together because they have spent their lives "looking around" for Jesus. They would both be the first to tell you that He is the center of their lives. It was by His will that they met in Ireland 4 years ago, and now they will be serving Him together.
So what does this have to do with me?? I have learned to be content as a single person. Does that mean I am never envious of other couples? No, not really. But it does mean that I give all of those feelings and longings over to Jesus. And I am sure, that the more focused I am on Him...
well, he knows the desires of our hearts.