My oldest sister Jenny is the poster child for having a dream, chasing after it and making it happen. All my life I've watched her sing in front of the bathroom mirror into the end of her hairbrush, claiming that each song she sang brought her closer to her dream. And now . . . she's living that dream. Well done!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xboucW89gUU
Tuesday, November 4, 2008
Sunday, November 2, 2008
Symphony Fantastique
I love fall and all its colorful symphonies magnificently playing for the joy our creator. The beauty and mystery of fall is always accented with a sadness for me, as the leaves die and glitter ground in preparation for a new season, a new year, a new adventure. And although joy gracefully encompasses the sadness, it is there nonetheless.
Especially this season.
More things are changing than I ever could have imagined possible, and although each change shows the creative and passionate love of God for me and the community around me, it has still been difficult. Being a person who is far too often driven or paralyzed by the fear of the unknown, The Giver has provided me with continuous opportunities this season to grow past the fear, trust a little more in myself and rest in the promise of delicate creativity. These opportunities have of course been received with a good deal of courage and its share of fear-filled resistance. But the fear only seems to come with changes that directly effect me and my husband. Do you ever do that? Completely trust God's plans for others, but hesitate when it comes to your path, plans and future? But I think that God not only desires for us to trust in God, but also in ourselves.
So this season God has not pointed out the next trail we will climb together, but has instead given me the task and opportunity to be the trail guide. Several summers ago I became certified to be a trail guide for backpacking trips, and during the certification course I was placed in charge of our group for a day. Deciding which trails to take, when to rest, eat and where to set up camp. I had to trust completely in my own judgment, talents and instincts; this was terrifying. What in the world made me qualified to make such important decisions and (even scarier) what if I made the wrong decision? What if the pace was too slow, the sun started going down, the temperature starting dropping and we didn't have a place to start a fire? What then?
This is a similar thought process I have been through over and over after understanding that God was giving me the task of choosing where to go next. Um, excuse me . . . God, I am almost positive that I am not qualified to make this decision. Are you sure? More importantly, are you crazy?
But what if pick the wrong one?
Such a huge fear of mine.
Then God sweetly reminded me that this choice didn't matter. What was going to matter is what we do on The Way and what we'll we'll do when we get there.
So now that I've chosen the trail, I'm learning to hold confidence in that choice, soaking up the symphonies of the season and continuing to follow Jesus, on The Way.
Hope you rest in the enchanting music of fall this week
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MKfDwChOoHI
Especially this season.
More things are changing than I ever could have imagined possible, and although each change shows the creative and passionate love of God for me and the community around me, it has still been difficult. Being a person who is far too often driven or paralyzed by the fear of the unknown, The Giver has provided me with continuous opportunities this season to grow past the fear, trust a little more in myself and rest in the promise of delicate creativity. These opportunities have of course been received with a good deal of courage and its share of fear-filled resistance. But the fear only seems to come with changes that directly effect me and my husband. Do you ever do that? Completely trust God's plans for others, but hesitate when it comes to your path, plans and future? But I think that God not only desires for us to trust in God, but also in ourselves.
So this season God has not pointed out the next trail we will climb together, but has instead given me the task and opportunity to be the trail guide. Several summers ago I became certified to be a trail guide for backpacking trips, and during the certification course I was placed in charge of our group for a day. Deciding which trails to take, when to rest, eat and where to set up camp. I had to trust completely in my own judgment, talents and instincts; this was terrifying. What in the world made me qualified to make such important decisions and (even scarier) what if I made the wrong decision? What if the pace was too slow, the sun started going down, the temperature starting dropping and we didn't have a place to start a fire? What then?
This is a similar thought process I have been through over and over after understanding that God was giving me the task of choosing where to go next. Um, excuse me . . . God, I am almost positive that I am not qualified to make this decision. Are you sure? More importantly, are you crazy?
But what if pick the wrong one?
Such a huge fear of mine.
Then God sweetly reminded me that this choice didn't matter. What was going to matter is what we do on The Way and what we'll we'll do when we get there.
So now that I've chosen the trail, I'm learning to hold confidence in that choice, soaking up the symphonies of the season and continuing to follow Jesus, on The Way.
Hope you rest in the enchanting music of fall this week
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MKfDwChOoHI
Monday, October 27, 2008
Mrs. Miller, officially
Ray and I are glad to report that we got another marriage license last week and are now legally married and no longer "living in sin."
:)
:)
Saturday, October 18, 2008
Mr. and Mrs.?
Ray got home on Friday to find a letter in the mail from the Waco county clerk's office lettings us know that they never recieved our signed marriage license. Meaning that we're legally not married. So I guess we're just live'n in sin!
Thursday, October 9, 2008
1 month, 62 boxes & some exhaustion later
We are moved and almost settled in Mertens! Between to two of us, our full time jobs and class loads, I’m pretty impressed with the amount of work we have been able to get done, as far as setting up the house.
Our first Sunday at Mertens was perfect! It’s so up-lifting and encouraging to have an entire community genuinely excited by your presence. We have no doubt that FBC Mertens is going to be an incredible part of our life and ministry together.
I am positive that Ray and I (mostly me) would not have made it through all these HUGE life changes without the love and encouragement of our friends and family. We continue to be blown away by people’s love. Like friends helping us move, showing up for our first Sunday and allowing us to be so deeply involved in their lives. Last Sunday night we had the opportunity to go and be apart of our friends Ryan and Kristen Arnold’s ordination. It was one of those experiences where God’s presence could not possibly be missed. Watching Kristen kneel and pray over her husband was an inexpressibly beautiful picture of God’s love shared and freely given between two people. They are truly wonderful people, and we get to call them friends! There’s no way around it, we are so lucky.
To add onto all the changes we’ve experienced in the past several months, we got an email yesterday letting us know that my sister Melissa and her husband have received their first military placement as a married couple . . . in Hawaii. We are so excited for them (Hawaii was their top choice), but this of course means packing up another piece of our family and helping them move. This new “adult” skin still feels weird, but I love watching God be creative and can’t wait to see what else God will do.
Oh, and I’m nearly three weeks in and LOVE being a vegetarian! Check out goveg.com!
Our first Sunday at Mertens was perfect! It’s so up-lifting and encouraging to have an entire community genuinely excited by your presence. We have no doubt that FBC Mertens is going to be an incredible part of our life and ministry together.
I am positive that Ray and I (mostly me) would not have made it through all these HUGE life changes without the love and encouragement of our friends and family. We continue to be blown away by people’s love. Like friends helping us move, showing up for our first Sunday and allowing us to be so deeply involved in their lives. Last Sunday night we had the opportunity to go and be apart of our friends Ryan and Kristen Arnold’s ordination. It was one of those experiences where God’s presence could not possibly be missed. Watching Kristen kneel and pray over her husband was an inexpressibly beautiful picture of God’s love shared and freely given between two people. They are truly wonderful people, and we get to call them friends! There’s no way around it, we are so lucky.
To add onto all the changes we’ve experienced in the past several months, we got an email yesterday letting us know that my sister Melissa and her husband have received their first military placement as a married couple . . . in Hawaii. We are so excited for them (Hawaii was their top choice), but this of course means packing up another piece of our family and helping them move. This new “adult” skin still feels weird, but I love watching God be creative and can’t wait to see what else God will do.
Oh, and I’m nearly three weeks in and LOVE being a vegetarian! Check out goveg.com!
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