2011 & 2012

A Look Back: 2011

Solomon’s prayer at the dedication of the temple ended by saying “let your saints rejoice in your goodness” (II Chronicles 6:41). I will rejoice in God’s goodness, for though I’ve cried, I’ve also laughed. Though I’ve said goodbye to dreams, I’ve also lived out a dream. Though I still pray requests I’ve been asking for years, I’ve seen many, many prayer requests answered. 

“For everything there is a season, and a time for every matter under heaven” (Ecc. 3:1). I’ve found I’m grateful life is full of seasons. And I’m grateful that God proves His faithfulness in each season

Highlights of the year…

March 1^st, Ivy joined the family. I loves her. J It’s been a good car—not perfect, but specific answers to prayers in many ways (color, mileage, CD player… ;)!

Also in March, Rachel and I took a road trip out to Greenville for BJU’s Bible Conference!  Driving my car of course. J It was so much fun to go back and the conference was a good one…each year keeps getting better!

However, God closed the door on going back to BJ for grad school. It’s a long story—consider it sufficient to say the door closed because God had another plan. And I have the privilege of aligning my will to His. It was not easy…still isn’t, some days. But I am grateful for all He’s been showing and teaching me.

And not going to BJ to work over the summer allowed me to be a part of several ministries at church—again, specific answers to prayer and even above and beyond! I was able to help out with VBS as staff. So fun to feed kids food because you become their best friend. ;) The very next week

was teen camp where I was a room leader (counselor). Full of struggles and joys…I would do it again in a heartbeat and yet God showed me ugly sin in my life: pride, wrong focus, idols… And yet two weeks later found me as a co-counselor at junior camp, also full of struggles and joys. I remember praying once at the beginning of the year, “God…I’d love to do junior camp.” I didn’t even so much ask as just express a desire of my heart. God said yes…and gave me teen camp on top of that!

This fall can be summed up in two words: grad school. When God said no to BJ, He said yes to Northland Online. I totally was not prepared for what I was in for! My original major at BJ was going to be Church Ministries and when they got rid of that major, it tentatively was going to be Biblical Studies. Not to sound terrible, but that didn’t thrill me—it sounded technical and not really what I had in mind. The switch to Northland gave me two options: Biblical Studies and Cross-Cultural Studies. CCS sounded amazing. But it also sounded like a lot of commitment (6-week overseas internship?) without having a lot of detail. So I started out the semester in Biblical Studies: just one class (and a non-credit learn-how-to-write-a-grad-paper class that supposedly was “nothing”). Let’s just say it did not go over very well and proved to me that Biblical Studies was technical and not really what I had in mind and was a little too pastor-ish.  

So now I am almost-officially a Cross- Cultural Studies student. The online classes are 8-week sessions and so the second half of the semester I was able to take a CCS class—and I lovedit! Which has not necessarily made grad school easier…I’m already ready to graduate. J 

Favorite New Books…

Worldliness: resisting the seduction of a fallen world  

by C.J. Mahaney 

The Lord of the Rings  trilogy by JRR Tolkien

Song of the Year: “The Look”

I saw One hanging on a tree in agony and blood,

Who fixed His loving eyes on me as near His cross I stood.

And never till my dying breath will I forget that look.

It seemed to charge me with His death though not a word He spoke.

…

…But with a second look He said “I freely all forgive.

This blood is for your ransom paid; I died that you might live.”

…

Forever etched upon my mind is the look of Him who died,

The Lamb I crucified; and now my life will sing the praise

Of pure, atoning grace that looked on me and gladly took my place.

{John Newton/Bob Kauflin}

I spent a lot of time pouting about my change of plans this year and not enough time praising God for the atoning grace that has given me all the good things in my life. I have hopes and dreams, yes and plans, for 2012. But I want God to be in the center of it all. I want God to be my hope. To be my dream. To want my plans to dissolve into His. He knows what He’s doing even while I have no clue what I’m doing! J He is teaching me just how much I can trust Him. It’s a little confusing, not always fun, and it’s not over yet.

But He is good. And I rest in that!

A Look Ahead: 2012

Spring: another semester (first with two classes, second half with just one);

also scheming for another trip to Bible Conference!

Summer: another class or two. 

 Fall: another class or two. 

Winter:  another class or two.  

Something like that. J Hopefully I will at least be making plans for my internship, enjoying church ministries, and watching God answer prayers. And still learning to trust Him more…will you join me on that journey? 

Happy New Year

And blessings for 2012!