Weekly Update: Beauty and Refreshment

This week has been all about getting back into the groove of normalcy (whatever that is), for a whole month, lol.  My brother and new sister-in-law have settled into married life beautifully with a new little addition that keeps things interesting, and my mother and I have gone back to cleaning houses while I prepare to speak at a couple of events and join my sister in Alaska again for a time. 

All in all it has been a relatively quiet week filled with the every day things in life that we often take for granted.  I wake up, let the dogs out, and head out to work with Mom, doing all of the ordinary things that we need to do.  However, even in the midst of what might seem mundane, there is a peace and beauty that I am learning to appreciate.  The swish of a horses’ tail, the feel of a breeze on my skin, even the hum of a vacuum remind me that life is not just about the exciting moments that steal our breath away.  God is not just in the big things, He is in the simple things in life just as much as the big moments.  He is no less in my life right now than when I was standing up in front of hundreds of people in Rwanda giving the Gospel.   And while I yearn for those seemingly big moments, I yearn even more for the moments when it is just He and I and I can just sit in His presence in the shade of a tree.  He is also teaching me that many things I previously had thought were cause for uproar are not too big for Him to redeem and continue to let His peace rule my life, even in the most trying of circumstances. 

 

This verse and the picture below have kind of been a theme in my life this past week:  “For as the soil makes the sprout come up and a garden causes seeds to grow, so the Sovereign Lord will make righteousness and praise spring up before all nations,”  Isaiah 61:11.  This is exactly what the Lord has been doing this week, refining me and springing up His praise within me in the same beautiful, tender way shoots spring up from the soil, and this is what He is doing and going to do in Italy and the nations.

In regards to finances, the Lord has blessed me with $400 in special gifts this week!  I am so thankful for that and for your prayers this past week.   In monthly support raised I am still at around 15% and in need of another 75% in order to buy my plane ticket.  I am excited to see how the Lord provides!

 

Prayer Requests:

– Preparing for the open house I am hosting August 3rd for those in the KC area

– For opportunities to pour into those around me while I am in this transitional period