Have I been blessed this week- and it's only Wednesday!!! Yesterday my amazing fiance called to tell me that he has an interview tomorrow for a full-time ministry job that we've been praying about for nearly two months. God is so good! I am thankful for this interview; just the chance to speak a little more than a resume can reveal is an incredible opportunity. My best friend called to tell me that she has found an interim teaching position to fill in for a lady on maternity leave, and she just finished classes last week! My family is all doing well at the moment despite various illnesses. Another friend with whom I've gotten much closer this year just called from Chattanooga to tell me that she and a good friend of Scott and me just got engaged. This week I really am just overwhelmed.
Last night was a huge blessing in itself. Several faithful friends showed up at my second family's home to give us a Christmas shower! What a fantastic idea!! No one really knew what to expect, but it turned out to be perfect. We were surprised with several fun ornaments to decorate our first tree next year, as well as many other little Christmas boxes and candles... My parents even surprised us with stockings that have our names on them. Amy, who organized the shower, did a stellar job planning with her husband. Since they are on furlough from Venezuela, they wowed us with some great homemade goodies like salsa, guacamole, mini tacos, bean dip...the whole nine yards. Plus, they rigged up a couple of great games. It was our first wedding shower and was so nice that I don't know if I want to have another one! :) I loved having Scott beside me opening things up... I don't understand why guys don't come to those things more. As if I needed a reminder (which really, I think I always do, because I never seem to live a life of ceaseless gratefulness), the kindness of those friends and family last night blew me away. I was reminded of how sweet it is to live in community. One of my biggest prayers right now is for the church where Scott and I will be after we are first married. We don't know where that is yet since the job thing is up in the air, but I have seen what it is like to be in tight community and what it is like to be seeking, searching, hungry for more- feeling disjointed and isolated. I'm reminded that Christ isolated himself only to pray, and I know when I isolate myself for too long, things go downhill fast. How blessed we are to be sons and daughters of God, brothers and sisters through the grace of Jesus Christ.
And P.S.: Again, this is one of those days where I just really, really can't wait to be a wife. I can't wait to share a home with my closest friend and partner in ministry, to decorate our first tree, to make white chicken chili when it's cold out, to fold his T-shirts.... I am ecstatic. The Lord is so good to us!!
12.20.2006
12.13.2006
Anointed
Indeed, I have completed my last finals of my undergrad career - thanks be to God! Things are looking up. I cannot believe that in a mere three weeks I will be in the classroom. This is somewhat terrifying to me but too exciting to dread. I am anxious to check things out. I will spend from January 2-February 23 in high school French and English and from February 23-May 4 in middle school English. Call me OCD (because probably I am), but the past day or so since I've been home, I have had the most fun organizing folders and making rubrics and worksheets. I've already learned that when you're a teacher (and probably a mom), the label maker is your best friend!!
On a completely different note, the night before finals ended (Monday), my dear suitemate kidnapped our suite for some kind of surprise. I guess she didn't actually kidnap us, but she called from an undisclosed location and told us to follow her instructions to end up where she was. Earlier in the day she handed us a paper for us to list our biggest prayer concerns concerning the world, King College, someone close to us, ourselves as individuals, our suite, and our spiritual life. I thought this was a kind thing and that she was simply planning to be intentional in praying for us over Christmas break.
When we arrived after a trek through the woods, we found circles of candles and the most perfect background music - Shane & Shane. We spent nearly three hours in intense confession, prayer, and worship together. It was one of the sweetest, rawest moments of worship I have ever experienced. We wept and prayed against strongholds and worries. When we looked up at one point, we saw Dr. Strang sitting in front of us. Dr. Strang is one of those people you want to know everything about and whose passion and intensity are absolutely contagious. He brought oils of frankincense and myrrh from Israel and told us of an ancient custom. As he explained not only the tradition from the Old Testament but the mentionings and symbolism in the New Testament, I realized I had never contemplated the significance of the symbol of oil and anointing. Seriously - I seem to just blow it off like it's irrelevant now. He came up to us individually and anointed our foreheads with a cross of frankincense and myrrh. The aroma was unsurpassable.
He whispered to me, "Daughter of the Covenant, you have been the recipient of a sacrifice through the birth and death of Jesus Christ. He has already counted you as righteousness. Live, now, in Him." It couldn't have been more pointing. The Lord has been working on my heart, and this moment was a wonderful time of affirmation. It was absolutely surreal. I haven't even talked to anyone about it yet; it seems too sacred or something. I am just so thankful that my dear suitemate listened when the Holy Spirit told her we needed a word. What an amazing Christmas gift. He has indeed already counted us as righteousness (Romans 4:23-24). It's time to live like it.
On a completely different note, the night before finals ended (Monday), my dear suitemate kidnapped our suite for some kind of surprise. I guess she didn't actually kidnap us, but she called from an undisclosed location and told us to follow her instructions to end up where she was. Earlier in the day she handed us a paper for us to list our biggest prayer concerns concerning the world, King College, someone close to us, ourselves as individuals, our suite, and our spiritual life. I thought this was a kind thing and that she was simply planning to be intentional in praying for us over Christmas break.
When we arrived after a trek through the woods, we found circles of candles and the most perfect background music - Shane & Shane. We spent nearly three hours in intense confession, prayer, and worship together. It was one of the sweetest, rawest moments of worship I have ever experienced. We wept and prayed against strongholds and worries. When we looked up at one point, we saw Dr. Strang sitting in front of us. Dr. Strang is one of those people you want to know everything about and whose passion and intensity are absolutely contagious. He brought oils of frankincense and myrrh from Israel and told us of an ancient custom. As he explained not only the tradition from the Old Testament but the mentionings and symbolism in the New Testament, I realized I had never contemplated the significance of the symbol of oil and anointing. Seriously - I seem to just blow it off like it's irrelevant now. He came up to us individually and anointed our foreheads with a cross of frankincense and myrrh. The aroma was unsurpassable.
He whispered to me, "Daughter of the Covenant, you have been the recipient of a sacrifice through the birth and death of Jesus Christ. He has already counted you as righteousness. Live, now, in Him." It couldn't have been more pointing. The Lord has been working on my heart, and this moment was a wonderful time of affirmation. It was absolutely surreal. I haven't even talked to anyone about it yet; it seems too sacred or something. I am just so thankful that my dear suitemate listened when the Holy Spirit told her we needed a word. What an amazing Christmas gift. He has indeed already counted us as righteousness (Romans 4:23-24). It's time to live like it.
12.06.2006
Anticipation!
I am nearing the end of undergrad classes forever! I can't believe this. Wednesday (now today, I guess) is my last day of class. A month from now I will already be student teaching somewhere. By the time finals end this semester I will be more than ready to have a break from paper-writing and test-cramming. I want my big, comfy bed in MY house - with MY candles - and MY music. I want to wake up and smell my mom's pancakes. However, this is a change that I have anticipated for so long.... and now that it's almost here, I don't know how to react!
Besides anticipating the day when I don't have any more finals or papers, I am very much anticipating the day when I become Scott's wife!! July 14th seems like a lifetime away sometimes, but we are more than halfway through our engagement. I see what people mean about long engagements being hard, but for us a shorter one would have been really pressing. This way I haven't had ANY wedding stress during school, and we've been able to actually have fun with it!! Plus, we are in more conversation and discussion about issues that we have more time to consider and pray about.... a huge plus. Nevertheless, the past few nights my heart has just been restless for him. I cannot wait to not have to leave at the end of the day. I especially am excited about seeing him more than a couple of times each week! :) I know that the first year especially will be trying, but I also know that we will have a blast. I am so thankful to the Lord for giving me such a faithful best friend on earth. Now I just anticipate being his roommate for life! :)
I've been thinking about a third kind of anticipation lately. Over Thanksgiving break, I was in the Dallas area with my sweet fiance, where we spent time with his family. On one afternoon, we all decided to watch Elf - one of my absolute favorites. There's this scene where Will Ferrell (Buddy the Elf) finds out Santa is coming. He screams. He tells EVERYONE. He's jumping up and down, flipping out. But no! That's not enough! He proceeds to stay up all night there at the department store where he is quite intentional in decorating the store from ceiling to floor.... hoping to welcome Santa in the most deserving way possible. He makes the Empire State Building out of legos, cuts the most amazing and intricates snowflakes, puts a Mona Lisa drawing on the Etch-a-Sketch for a Christmas tree ornament, and hangs lights anywhere he can. When I was watching it, I couldn't help but think of people today. Are we preparing our hearts for Christ, for the Bridegroom's return? Even on Sundays or Tuesdays or Friday nights....every day... are we preparing our hearts for worship? Are we intentional in "decorating" for the King, not only to impress or put on a show but to glorify Him like He deserves? If there's anything you learn about Buddy in that scene, it's that he anticipates Santa- and he responds accordingly! As children of the Most High, I pray that we anticipate the Messiah even more.
Besides anticipating the day when I don't have any more finals or papers, I am very much anticipating the day when I become Scott's wife!! July 14th seems like a lifetime away sometimes, but we are more than halfway through our engagement. I see what people mean about long engagements being hard, but for us a shorter one would have been really pressing. This way I haven't had ANY wedding stress during school, and we've been able to actually have fun with it!! Plus, we are in more conversation and discussion about issues that we have more time to consider and pray about.... a huge plus. Nevertheless, the past few nights my heart has just been restless for him. I cannot wait to not have to leave at the end of the day. I especially am excited about seeing him more than a couple of times each week! :) I know that the first year especially will be trying, but I also know that we will have a blast. I am so thankful to the Lord for giving me such a faithful best friend on earth. Now I just anticipate being his roommate for life! :)
I've been thinking about a third kind of anticipation lately. Over Thanksgiving break, I was in the Dallas area with my sweet fiance, where we spent time with his family. On one afternoon, we all decided to watch Elf - one of my absolute favorites. There's this scene where Will Ferrell (Buddy the Elf) finds out Santa is coming. He screams. He tells EVERYONE. He's jumping up and down, flipping out. But no! That's not enough! He proceeds to stay up all night there at the department store where he is quite intentional in decorating the store from ceiling to floor.... hoping to welcome Santa in the most deserving way possible. He makes the Empire State Building out of legos, cuts the most amazing and intricates snowflakes, puts a Mona Lisa drawing on the Etch-a-Sketch for a Christmas tree ornament, and hangs lights anywhere he can. When I was watching it, I couldn't help but think of people today. Are we preparing our hearts for Christ, for the Bridegroom's return? Even on Sundays or Tuesdays or Friday nights....every day... are we preparing our hearts for worship? Are we intentional in "decorating" for the King, not only to impress or put on a show but to glorify Him like He deserves? If there's anything you learn about Buddy in that scene, it's that he anticipates Santa- and he responds accordingly! As children of the Most High, I pray that we anticipate the Messiah even more.
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