A New Adventure!

Oh, friends, what exciting news I have to share with you all!

Jesus is sending our family to the mission field as church planters! If you would like to follow along our missionary journey we would love to have you join our mailing list HERE. If you'd like a sneak peek, I'll be sending out THIS EMAIL with all the details tomorrow.

As I continue writing on this blog there will no doubt be glimpses of our journey, though only as bits and pieces. It would be our honor to have you come alongside our family, lifting us up in prayer, and encouraging us along this church-planting adventure.

This path is hard, but oh, so good. And Jesus holds every sweetness along the way.

Who Should I Be?

My personality sat folded between my wallet and my keys

Accessible but hidden while I decided what to be.

Shall I be witty and engaging, or slightly more demure?

Should I be quiet and subdued? How would they like me more?

Perhaps I hide a shy, sweet smile when they ask about my dreams.

Or with animation broadly grin. Who, though, should I be?

Each temperament a part of who I really am inside,

But which to show off freely? And which to safely hide?

“Be your best self.” The common call. “Or who you want to be.”

But am I willing to be brave, and boldly just be me?

And so, with sigh of resignation, relief, and, yes, of dread,

I pull my apron from my purse and lift it over my head.

I wrap it round and tie the ties, and flatten out the seams,

Wearing wit and shyness and smiles and bits of dreams.

And come the time to introduce myself in all my parts,

I’ll reach my hand to grasp their own, and offer them my heart.

I have a few important interviews coming up that will influence many of the opportunities Jason and I have moving forward. I'm the kind of person who rehearses conversations in the mirror, and who often over-analyses things that haven't even happened yet, coming up with a game plan "just in case." But, as I am learning (for the zillionth time), I am called to be a woman of integrity and trust, and when I am faithful to simply obey Jesus, everything else will fall into place, in HIS timing and in HIS way. And so, as I prepare for these crucial interactions, I don't need to prepare my personality. I need to prepare my heart. Not to impress others, but to reflect Christ well.

Greatest Hope for Depression

🌿Depression has become increasingly prevalent in our world, and there is a sense of loss and longing that has debilitated so many hearts. Broken relationship and unmet expectations, bringing us grief and sorrow, building up into an insurmountable obstacle. Combined with the belief that we ourselves can do nothing to change those hard things (worse yet, we are to blame), leads to an overwhelming hopelessness. 🌿As terrifying as it is, our sin should–must!--evoke that exact sorrow in our hearts. When confronted with our unrighteousness before a holy God there ought to be an utter grief and horror over our sinful state.

🌿But God. God, who is rich in mercy, has answered that inevitable defeat with the victory of His own Son, Jesus. Nothing can wash away our sin. Not our good deeds, not our best intentions, not anything we might give the world. Nothing. Except Jesus’ blood and His righteousness. He alone is our hope and peace. It is in His blood that we are clean. 🌿And that, the gospel, the good news, is the only thing that has the strength to battle today’s depression and hopelessness, not only for the ubeliever, but especially to those who are redeemed.