He is good!

About six months ago I developed a strong desire to study the Old Testament and have been doing so since. I think the desire is rooted in the fact that I had spent very little time there prior to this new ambition. I spent most of my time in Paul’s letters for my quiet times and in the Gospels for my club talks. My Old Testament reading used to just simply be from the Psalms and Proverbs. I got to a point where I just wasn’t feeling challenged. I didn’t feel like I was getting a lot out of my time in the Word. Sure, it made me feel encouraged and it was really exciting, but I just didn’t feel like I was getting all that the Lord wanted me to. Probably because I was basically ignoring more than half of the Bible!! A couple weeks ago I decided to take on the task of Leviticus. I don’t think I have ever actually intended on reading Leviticus. I had looked at the pages from time to time and new the general theme. But, never had I spent my mornings dwelling in it, until now. It has been teaching me so much about what it means to be obedient to the Lord. At first I found myself wishing that the Lord would speak to me like He did to Moses and tell me exactly every step I’m supposed to take. But, He has since shown me what a joy it is to take a step of faith! To just trust in Him and nothing else! Once I got over the initial jealously stage I found myself in awe of their obedience. Today however, I was reading through chapter 14 and it was talking about the steps to take regarding someone who has a skin disease, my Bible footnoted that often times it was leprosy. This triggered the accounts in the Gospels where Jesus heals the man with leprosy. Before now, I knew that the man with leprosy was considered to be “unclean” but never really understood the severity of what that meant. I love the Old Testament because it helps me get a better understanding at the mindsets of those who walked with Jesus when He was on this earth. It helps me see their frustration and their concern that this man who claims to be God is completely altering their way of life. Such an incredible picture of what it means to follow the Lord. Following Him no matter what; no matter if it changes your life and everything you once held on to. Following Him means surrendering all. Everything! Since moving I have come to realize what true surrender looks like and what a joy letting Him have absolute control can be! He is good! So good!

Update:

First Camas/Washougal club was great!! A lot of kids, a lot of fun, a lot of Truth shared! It was weirder than I expected going from knowing practically every kid that walked into the Field House in Axtell, to knowing no one, aside from the leaders, that came into The Barn in Camas. Weird… but exciting!

I have three jobs!!! I’m working as a part time nanny and the boys, Jack who is 2 ½ and John who is 5, are absolutely adorable! The other two jobs are in stores in downtown Camas, exactly what I prayed for! The three fit together perfectly, works out to be about 40 hours a week.  

A man who lives in Washougal who loves the Lord and loves YL emailed the area director on Monday and said he is ready to do all that it takes to get YL started in Washougal. He has organized a meeting Tuesday night for Erin and I tell who we are, explain what YL is, share our vision for the area, and brainstorm ways to make it happen! I am SO excited for it!! There will be parents, faculty, youth pastors and other adults from the community that love the Lord all in one room together figuring out how to get this thing going!

Going to the committee meeting on Wednesday night, it will be my first time to meet the people who basically will decide if I will be hired!

Here I am!

I never really thought that I would be a blogger. I tried it out when I was abroad last summer just as a way to keep my friends and family up-to-date with the adventures of the month. Now, in this new season of life I feel the desire to share what that the Lord is doing in my life. Because, He is doing A LOT!!!! If you know me you know that I would much rather have an actual conversation about the Lord and how He is working, but I have come to realize that He is working too fast and doing too many incredible things and teaching me too much to just hold inside until I have the chance to talk to one of you. I need a way to share, or at least feel like I am sharing! So, here I am. Blogging.

So since leaving the sweet comfort of Waco, Texas the Lord has done an incredible amount of work in my life. He has blessed me beyond belief! Rather than going into great detail, here is a brief update-on-my-life-list that, I warn you, does not even come close to describing what a blessing each of these sweet treasure are to me:

-Moved to Vancouver, Washington

-Live by myself in a 2 bedroom apartment down the street from my grandparents

-Live twenty minutes away from my wonderful mother, who I get to see every week!

-Was given a car

-Worked for a month as a camp counselor for 15 adorable Korean kids

-Fell in love with the YL community in Camas/Washougal

-Found a church that I love in downtown Portland

-Feel God’s love more than ever through the beautiful creation that surrounds me

-Read Kyle Lake’s book, Understanding God’s Will, and it changed my perspective on life

-Met some incredible, genuine people who I am fortunate to call friends

-Had a woman pray over me when I was job searching in downtown Camas

-Met the woman who is going to mentor me and who I think will change my life as I know it because she will challenge me in my faith and inspire me in my walk

-Met with the regional director; he did a great job at encouraging me and helped me see that money is no match for the Lord

-God willing, will have an interview in February, start raising money, then go on staff in September!

-Currently reading Captivating which is challenging me in a really great way

-Developed a passion for “prayer driving” … but really need to cut back on this because I’m realizing that gas costs money… money that I do not have

-Gave myself a haircut… that’s right, I did the cutting!

-Found an incredible dock on the river for quiet times on the edge of Washougal

-Learning what it looks like to be obedient to the Lord in every aspect of this life

-Truly seeing the importance of God’s timing

Ya, I told you it was a lot! He is working on me more than I could ever even begin to describe. While at a Bible study for the girl leaders in Camas/Washougal the other night I was sharing how the Lord has been working on my heart and describing to my new mentor how I ended up in her living room. One of the girls said that as I was talking she kept hearing “Israel” and said that she feels like this is my Promise Land. I could not agree more! This is it! This is home! This is what the Lord has been preparing me for! And I love every minute of it! And the crazy thing is, I feel like He is just getting started. It’s like in John 1 when Jesus spoke to Phillip and Nathanael and said, “…you shall see greater things than that!” As if my life has not been insanely blessed up to this point, I feel like Jesus is saying, “Come, follow me, you shall see greater things than this!”

More to come… trust me, lots more!