Abby
Wednesday, September 2, 2009
18 Days Remaining
Abby
Wednesday, August 26, 2009
24 Days To Go
We got home from Alabama last night and I had been anticipating getting home all day. As it turns out, we had to spend the night at Mimi's because it was apparently too late to go home at 9:00. I was majorly bummed to say the least. Needless to say, I was happy to walk in the front door. I suppose it's somewhat ironic that I didn't want to leave Alabama, and I would still be there if I could. Sort of a bittersweet home-coming.
I think for a while now, I've been craving a new adventure. Again, kind-of ironic that I just got back from Alabama.... but something new. Something....I've never done before. I suppose part of it is that I'm ready to get out of Brevard period....I don't really care to be here any more, which is weird for me because I've always loved Brevard. I just am starting to feel like there's nothing here for me. Not much I can do about it, I know, but I can't help but feel like I'm ready to get out. I don't know if that makes much sense.
Anyhow, its been a pretty good day. I'm rather enjoying the last little bit of summer before school starts (at some point). I had a coffee date with Elizabeth tonight and it was wonderful to catch up with her a bit and spend some time with her. I'm working on getting together with friends as much as possible before school starts, but my load is much lighter this year than it was last year, so by no means is school going to stop me from seeing them. It just seems right to spend the last few days of summer with the people I love.
I've been thinking a lot about God's timing lately. I guess a minor example was with Alabama.... I didn't think I'd be able to leave, but the time came and I was at peace. When you live in the Kingdom its funny how God's timing most always seems about right. Maybe not completely comfortable, but there's this strange peace about it. Another example would be Guatemala. I never wanted to leave those precious people, but when we had to leave, I felt peace about it. I prayed the whole time I was there.... God, don't let me leave here with unsettled business or while I still feel like I need to stay. And when I boarded the bus for Guatemala City, I felt a strange peace about leaving. Don't get me wrong, I wasn't comfortable nor did I want to leave. But it was right. I suppose the most recent thing on this topic has been school. Right after camp had ended (potentially the worst few days of my year) I didn't see a possible way for me to go back to school anytime remotely soon and be okay. I've had time to process and grow even stronger.... and you know what? I even feel like I'm ready now..there's peace and I'm okay with it. That rarely ever happens for me. And I will be even more prepared when we start.
School hasn't ever been terribly exciting for me. I've had to push myself to stay motivated and somewhat entertained by it. My freshman year, I took it too lightly and didn't really care. Last year, my sophomore year, I was at the other end of the spectrum.... I decided that I was too carefree about school and I had to tighten up. It was too much, I truthfully pushed myself too hard. This year, while I'm still not terribly excited, I'm looking at it from a different standpoint. Its where God has me right now for a reason. He won't give me anything I can't handle, and that includes high school :) even my junior year is Kingdom business. Since I'm not the most motivated person, I just keep telling myself that if I don't do it, it is a limitation. If I get through high school with excellence, I can go more places and accomplish more in the Kingdom. That may sound dumb, but its absolutely true.
One more thing about today :) I've been thinking about something that Brian Johnson talked about a little bit. Being discontent. I've had it on my back burner for a while that I'm just not satisfied quite yet....I guess like I'm still trying to get comfortable. I don't know if that makes any sense, but it was sort of brought out this week. I'm not unhappy or seriously about to lose it... I'm just not quite satisfied with it. And I think some of that goes back to the whole Brevard thing. I've come a long way this year, especially over the summer. But I'm still working on a lot- one of those things is trying to find a place "to land"...I guess a sense of balance in my life between school, family, friends, church, clogging....and putting Jesus in the center. I think that I'm not the only person on the planet that struggles with this... you see it all the time. People get too wrapped up in their ministry, job, materialism, school, themselves....it's hard to find that balance between it all and yet keep God in the middle of everything that goes on. I think that this is an opportune time in my life to figure out my priorities- with school starting back soon and clogging too.
Anyway, thats been my thoughts mostly for today. I regretably haven't been in the word much for a while....I didn't have my bible for a week (I just got it back today), so I'm sorry for the lack of word study posts.
Have a great evening.
Abby
Monday, August 24, 2009
2 Weeks
Today Clint, Jenn, and their kids took me, Cliff and Dara to the beach with their boat. I had an awesome time, and I might get pictures up at some point. We found sand dollars and shells, swam with dolphins, and relaxed on the beach for hours on end. It was wonderful. I hadn't been to the beach in 4 years. It was a beautiful end to an amazing week.
I've simply fallen in love with these people. Its very hard to leave tomorrow, and frankly I'm not ready to at all. Sometimes when you're gone for a while, you feel like its about time to go home. Thats the thing, I've been so at home that it almost seems odd to go back to Brevard. I really love being down here with all of the New Freedom Church people....they are simply incredible. I'm so glad that Cliff is getting the chance to be down here with them and hey, who knows, maybe one day I will be too. It makes me sad to have to go.
Anyway, I'm getting really sleepy really fast. Its been an eventful day! Have a wonderful night, world.
Abby
Thursday, August 20, 2009
10 Days and Counting
I realize its been close to a week since I updated, and my only excuse is that I've been preparing for Alabama and spending as much time with friends as possible before school starts.
Just in case you don't know, I'm now in Webb, Alabama at New Freedom Church for a Brian and Jenn Johnson Conference. Chris Quilala will also be here, and I'm very excited to get to meet them and worship with them! Its going to be awesome. I'm still adjusting to the slight time change, but who's complaining....I get another hour to sleep. We stayed up until 1:30 (2:30 my time) last night talking about the Kingdom of God. I was privledged enough to just sit and bask in the incredible revelation of the people I was talking with. They really know the Kingdom.... which, in case you haven't noticed, has been the theme of my life since June. And it will be the theme for the rest of my life....because it's the King's domain, and thats where I belong.
Anyhow, it was somewhat difficult to get down here, but that's almost to be expected when something awesome is about to happen. I left my bible (major bummer), Dara left her flip-flops, Cliff left a few things.... some confusion. We picked up on it quickly and made sure it came to an end :) heh.
God has been continuing to reveal his Kingdom to me (shocker, I know). I told my Grandma and Mr. Larry this morning, ever since I got a hold of the Kingdom it has completely changed my life. Everything about it. I suppose you could say the most recent thing has been that the Kingdom is a culture of honor. It makes sense. God's expectations are excellence, and honor falls into that.
Well, I had more to say, but it's about time to go move into the activities of the day. I love these people!
Jesus loves you (that's from Dara),
Abby
Saturday, August 15, 2009
Día Cinco: Más Difícil
God has plans for us. Huge, monstrous, awesome plans for us. I was listening to Bill Johnson earlier today and he was talking about becoming a part of ministries. If we "marry" ourselves to other believers, then their good news becomes our good news. Its exciting for everyone. There's a story that he told about three men, one said, "I'm laying a floor," the other said, "I'm building bricks," and the other said, "I'm building a cathedral." What happens when we aren't just doing our part in the body of Christ, but we're also looking at the big picture....the "cathedral." God has plans for US as a body, and all of the plans that he has for us individually line up with that. I'm not talking about church-goers. I'm talking about the body of Christ.
Anyway, thats not exactly what I was getting at. The next part says, "you will pray to me and I will listen to you. You will seek me and find me when you search for me with all your heart. And I will be found by you...." and so on so forth. The key here for me is search because that is the action behind pursuing God wholeheartedly. What does that look like? Proverbs 25 talks about the glory of Kings is to search out a matter. So we know its big stuff to search something out wholeheartedly. But what does it look like? For me, this is where Matthew 6 comes in....
I think I used Matthew 6 in a recent blog post about worry. I don't really want to summarize, just scroll down a bit and read the post :) The point is, I've been in Matthew 6 lately. Right before the passage about anxiety, it talks about fasting (haha) and treasure. What the heck does treasure have to do with pursuing God, right?
19Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal.20"But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys, and where thieves do not break in or steal; 21for where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.
Just in case you didn't catch that last part...where your treasure is there your heart will be also. Where is our treasure? Ok, so maybe we totally aren't attached to material things ("treasures")....what about our time? Energy? How about being inconvenienced? Or taking away "that" which we can't live without? When we don't have all of our valuable or "treasured" areas of life sown into heaven, then our heart isn't completely pursuing the Father.
It cross-references to Matthew 19:21 where Jesus is talking to the rich young ruler who wants to know how to get into heaven and Jesus says to go sell his possessions and follow him, and he will have treasure in heaven. Great! So all you have to do is sell all of your possessions? :) no. for me this is also about giving all of yourself up ("selling" in a sense) for those that God puts in your path.
It also cross-references to a really cool verse in I Timothy.
18Instruct them to do good, to be rich in good works, to be generous and ready to share,19storing up for themselves the treasure of a good foundation for the future, so that they may take hold of that which is life indeed.
This also relates to giving yourself up for others. We've loosed this in heaven, because we loosed it on earth. Is thatsn't that cool? It also say we "take hold of that which is life indeed." which is Jesus. That sounds like wholehearted pursuit to me.
Ok, well I think I've about worn out my blog for tonight. I hope someone got something out of my rambling :) have a wonderful night, world.
Abby
Friday, August 14, 2009
Day 4:TVR
It is difficult to eat here, but I've managed to get plenty of protien and food. I normally can find a way :). I haven't been really hungry, probably because I eat a LOT of the food that doesn't have sugar in it. I'm very happy that I'm getting to spend some time with Mary and Elizabeth this weekend. I'm leaving for Alabama on Wednesday for a worship conference....we'll be there for probably a week, and I am very much so looking forward to spending some time with the wonderful people down there, as well as meeting Brian and Jenn Johnson.
I may have time to update later today, after I have some Jesus time and have something worth writing about :) for now I need to go and help tri-fold 2700 NCHE membership forms. Wonderful :)
Abby