Revealing Grace

I leave for India in less than 48 hours. As it gets closer I have had a lot to think about. Tonight as I was driving home from seeing a very sweet friend of mine this beautiful lightening storm enriched the sky. There was no rain, I didn't hear thunder, I just saw this vibrant masterpiece of a lightening storm flashing across the sky. It really made me think, this isn't about me, is it?  None of it is. I have spent weeks thinking what if I get sick? What if the food doesn't agree with me? What if I don't get enough sleep? And today it hit me that I was going about this all wrong. It is not about how I will feel on this trip, what matters is how the Kingdom of God will be impacted. What matters is that we take every moment to share the news of Jesus Christ with everyone we meet. This trip is about encouraging the persecuted church in India, bringing hope to women in churches on the other side of the world, and bringing the joy of Jesus Christ to children so that they in ...

Ok I know I already posted today but I just have to share this. God is so good! Today I emailed my Community Coordinators at Fuller Theological Seminary. Basically this is a married couple that act as the RAs on the two floors of my apartment building. So I sent them an email saying I was not going to be actually moving in when my lease starts because I will be in India for August. Tonight I got an email back from the wife of the pair. In it she mentioned that she was very happy that I was getting to go to India...because she and her husband are from India! They moved to the States a few years ago when they felt God calling them to be missionaries. I feel like this is such an affirmation from the Lord that I am exactly where He wants me to be. Not only am I going to India, but then I am moving sight unseen to California, where my CCs ARE FROM INDIA. Now I am telling you I do not think that is a coincidence! This is going to make the transition to Fuller a lot easier knowing tha...

I officially leave for my Indian adventure in four days! I am all packed up, excited, and ready to go. Stay posted because next week these posts will actually be from the other side of the world! (In other words, they will be a lot more interesting!) Stay tuned!

Update on all things India: It is getting closer to my departure date so I am putting the finishing touches on getting ready. It is taking a lot more preparation than I had predicted! Today I traveled to the big city of Atlanta and met with a travel doctor. I really recommend this if you are traveling out of the country. It was very informative and productive. So I am proud to say that I am now vaccinated against Polio, Hepatitis A, and Typhoid Fever. I have also been instructed to stay away from all animals, no matter how cute, and to cover myself in deet in order to not get Japanese Encephalitis. (It is as scary as it sounds). Let's just say that I will have a forcefield of protection around me made of vaccines, an inordinate amount of deet, and fear. My support raising is coming along great. It has been unbelievable to see the generosity of people around me. I love it because it is nothing I have done to deserve this- it is obviously the work of the Lord! I always love to ...

There are some times in life when there is no other thing to do but sit back and rejoice in the blessings given by the Lord. It is this incredible feeling to realize that I deserve nothing, yet I have everything. I have failed, I still fail, and I disappoint the Lord I am sure, yet He still chooses to bless me and make me feel how truly loved I am. His love is incomprehensible to me, for we surely do not love this way! My love is so fickle so much of the time! Yet God loves me and you without asking questions, it is unconditional. So here are just some of the great things the Lord is doing in my life: 1. In just around a month the Lord has been faithful in raising $2,050 for my trip to India. In a month! Through family, churches, strangers and friends, the funds have been coming in- in amazing ways! I am so thankful for all of the people who are putting their faith in me and this mission. To know that they believe in what I say and do is an incredible feeling and I am so so blessed...

In one of my leadership classes in college we were given the assignment to make a mission statement for our lives (I think it was from the book 7 Habits of Highly Effective People). This statement would reflect what we live for and give us goals for who we want to be. I really liked this idea because we use mission statements for our organizations, our jobs, and many other professional endeavors, but I had never thought to make a statement declaring what I stand for and the kind of person I want to be. It really made me think about what I want to stand for. Here is my life mission statement: "I will be a woman who has strong moral character, who has patience even when patience is tried, who has joy in all circumstances, and who shows compassion to all people. I will strive to serve others in everything I do. For my friends, my family, those I know, and those I do not, I will live my life to better the world around me. I will not sit complacently in my life of wealth while othe...