Reflections and Responses

My dad is about to go on an adventure. On Tuesday, he is flying back to Ghana - but this time, he is going to live there for three months to teach for at a seminary for a semester. I am thrilled that he has this opportunity to invest in Ghanian pastors and experience life there for more than a couple of weeks (the duration of time he's usually in the country). He will be living at Seed Ministry with the missionaries we have worked alongside multiple times - also where my sister lived for six weeks this summer. I'm sure that my dad will end up serving in many other ways besides teaching while he is there, which is neat. Who knows what needs will arise or what God has in store? My dad will most likely preach at local churches Seed Ministry works with, assist with tasks around the facility, and fill other roles that we would never be able to predict right now. You can read a brief note Dad wrote about his trip here . I would love for you to pray for my family during this time. Ple...

I am sitting here at my dining room table in the exact spot I sat when I had my initial conversation with a member of the Passion team a couple of months ago. She was in Tokyo on the World Tour (World Tour = Passion is going to 7 cities around the world this year doing events for young adults), and I was chatting with her on Skype via webcam. Now, I am sitting here after completing my first day as a member of the team. God is so good. He has put an incredible opportunity in my lap - all glory to Him - I did nothing to deserve it. Thanks to Him, some new colleagues, and prayers/calls/texts from loved ones, I had an awesome first day. I am humbled and excited to continue this journey. "...'I am the LORD, who exercises kindness, justice and righteousness on earth, for in these I delight,' declares the LORD." - Jeremiah 9:24

It is funny how some things never change, but people do change. Let me elaborate. As you know (since I have been inundating Facebook with my status updates about the subject!), I have been able to spend a lot of time this week in Cumming visiting my sister (who lives in California but is visiting for two weeks) and extended family. Today I drove to my grandparents’ house to spend the day at the lake with some of my extended family members, which made me nostalgic. I mulled over the idea of change and was flooded with memories as my car glided easily over the familiar curves in the roads that lead to their home. My grandparents have lived in the same house for my entire life, and I lived in their neighborhood for part of my childhood. I have ridden and driven on those same roads countless times but at totally different stages in my life – riding next to my sister in my mom’s minivan when we were little, riding in John’s truck as he drove me home from dates, and driving my Beetle when I ...

I’ve been blown away recently by Stephen from the Bible. Have you noticed how he is described? Luke describes him in Acts 6:8 as “Stephen, brimming with God’s grace and energy…” Later, he says that people were trying to argue with Stephen about Jesus, but “they were no match for his wisdom and spirit when he spoke.” Even later, Luke writes that a riot broke out, “But Stephen, full of the Holy Spirit, hardly noticed – he only had eyes for God, whom he saw in all his glory with Jesus standing at his side.” (Acts 7:55). Wow. I’ve been thinking about my new job and first impressions a lot lately, so my first reaction when I read these passages in Acts was, “I want to be referred to like that – ‘brimming with God’s grace and energy, ‘only having eyes for God!’ ” I want my new coworkers to think I am the 21st century, female version of Stephen in my focus and zeal for the Lord! John keeps reminding me that I just need to be myself, not worry so much about appearances, and let the relations...

I took a whopping 46 bobby pins out of my hair last night after being a bridesmaid in my friend Judy’s wedding. As I took them out, special memories flooded my mind of other times I’ve removed unbelievable numbers of bobby pins from an up-do (hey, it was a lengthy task – I had time to think!). I thought back about various roles I’d played in theatrical performances in high school that required extravagant up-do’s, tons of hairspray and small armies of bobby pins. I also thought of my high school prom experiences – nights I anticipated for years (literally). Then I thought about other weddings that I had been in, supporting close friends as they married the men of their dreams. Finally, I thought about my own wedding, laughing as I remembered sitting cross-legged on the floor of a hotel room as John pried what seemed like a pound of bobby pins from my head. It’s funny how objects as inanimate and cheap as bobby pins brought so many significant memories to my mind. It reminded me of peop...