A New Stage

I can't believe it's already mid-February, and a new part of my SOE (School of Evangelism) is starting! We had a really good week of talking about offenses and forgiveness, and I feel that there's a wall between me and God that's coming down in a big way. So that's been great.

On the other hand, I've been more sore this week and the last than I have in a very long time, so if you could be praying for that, that would be awesome.

Next week is Missions Prep week, which means that we practice all the stuff that we're going to be doing in Haiti, and also when we start meeting as a whole team and praying and worshipping :)

So I'm praying that I have energy and motivation and that I'm especially alert to God and ready to do battle, because the Enemy of our souls will be trying to bring the house down around us. Praise God that He has already conquered and that all we have to do is stand in that victory. That's such great news :)

However, I am still battling a lot of lies and wrong thinking that I have carried around for years, and it's so easy to just live in them and not fight, not realize what I am doing to myself and to the people around me. I want to grit my teeth and wade into the mess so that I can come out better on the other side, by the grace of God. I am full of expectation and expectancy that God is going to be glorified in this area of my life! :)

An escaped analogy

analogies are slippery;

thought of one this morning

and it was gone by afternoon

turned to pick up common sense

and it disappeared

squeezed out by reality

the ketchup of life.

I prefer tomatoes.

Cherry, preferably.

Much in my heart; hard to express

I know that's kind of a mouthful for a blogpost title, but that's really why I haven't written in a while. My School of Evangelism has been challenging and changing me--well, God has been, ultimately. But there are teachers and teachings that definitely make me think and reason through things I might never think about. The other thing that's blowing my mind is how God will start talking to me about something and then it shows up in class the next day, and that's not uncommon. I love how God keeps connecting concepts to real life, because I don't really know something until He shows he how to apply it. :)

For example, I am learning that when I do the "silly little things" God asks me to do, it builds our relationship so much more than when I do the things I know I'm supposed to do. In other words, when he says "Go this way instead of that way" or "eat green peppers and tomatoes and cucumbers with Italian dressing", I do it because it blesses him that I care what he thinks, even if it seems silly. And then, it turns out not to be silly at all, because all of those steps lead me to deep relationship and intimacy and that brings out the best in me and then helps bring out the best in others around me as I live the way God intended...

Wow. It just awes me how God works!

That's all for now. More soon :)

Incomprehensible Changes

there's a part from "The Host" that perfectly describes how I'm feeling.(slightly changed to fit my life with God.

“But when He touched me, it was deeper and slower than the wildfire, like the flow of molten rock far beneath the surface of the earth. Too deep to feel the heat of it, but it moved inexorably.” ~The Host by Stephanie Meyer~

It seems like that's what's going on with me. I don't always feel things happen so well, but there's something deep God's doing in me. And no matter how loud everything else gets, I know He's there and I know He's changing things.

That describes my week, and it was intense.