Éire

Five years ago, I had these two friends who were living in Europe. we didn't know each other well (at least in my mind we didn't) before they left but they made a offhand invitation for me to spend a few weeks backpacking with them before they came home. I was terrified, I mean I hardly knew these girls, and what if they only said it to be nice. What would people say when they heard that the girl who wanted to be a missionary was backpacking Europe. I was wracked with more fear than I would ever describe to you, however I heard God clearly and He said go.

It was amazing, terrifying, crazy, fun, adventurous, everything that my 18 year old self needed. I needed to be challenged, to live outside of expectations, I needed adventure, I needed good friends, but most of all I needed to trust the Lord.

You see in the safety of my home and the love of my family I frequently forget how amazing and complete the Lords love is, because I don't need it as desperately as I do out in the world. At home life was easy, I could hide, I could give into my fears about the world, I could daydream about a better world. God knew though, He knew I needed to be kicked out of the nest in the most gentle way possible. So he sent me to Europe a place that I had been dreaming of pretty much my whole life, I secretly in the depths of my heart always wanted to go backpacking and he saw that.

Europe changed me, I was able to see God is interested in my happiness not just my well being. He also helped me to see what great friends he had sent me. I was also able to see that serving my Lord could take me some very interesting places that I may never see coming.

While I was backpacking I go to go to Greece, Italy and Ireland. Ireland was a blessing from the Lord, our excursion there was not planned but it was perfect. Most of my life I had dreamed of going there, I knew almost nothing about the country by my heart called to visit. The country did not disappoint, and when it came time for me to leave I couldn't bring myself to be sad because I knew I would be back.

All of this is intro for a big announcement of sorts, I am moving to Ireland for six months. In March.

I will be working with Dublin Christian Mission, and I am really excited. I will be sharing more in the coming days, but I thought I would just get the big announcement out there.




That's all for today.

Thunder crashes and rumbles in the skies

How I kind of wish it looked outside. 

I have been wanting to come on here for months, desperately trying to find a good post, the perfect post that describes why I haven't written in so long. Clearly I haven't been able to write that post, I haven't been able to find the right thing to come back with, but today I read this and had to share it.

Job answered:

"Well, you've certainly been a great help to a helpless man!
You came to the rescue just in the nick of time!
What wonderful advise you've given to a mixed-up man!

What a awesome looking storm
What amazing work my Father does

What amazing insights you've provided!
where in the world did you learn all this?
How did you become so inspired?

"All the buried dead are in torment,
and all who've been drowned in the deep, deep sea.
Hell is ripped open before God,
graveyards dug up and exposed.
He spreads the skies over uniformed space,
hangs the earth out in empty space.
He pours water into cumulus cloud-bags
and the bags don't burst.
He makes the moon wax and wane,
putting it through its phases.
He draws the horizon out over the ocean,
sets a boundary between light and darkness.
Thunder crashes and rumbles in the skies.
Listen! It's God raising his voice!
By his power he stills sea storms,
by his wisdom he tames sea monsters.
With one breath he clears the sky,
with one finger he crushes the sea serpent.
And this is only the beginning,
a mere whisper of his rule.
Whatever would we do if he really raised his voice!"

Job 26 (the message)

You know when a verse just talks to you?

Because today I am feeling optimistic
we are going to say these people are worshiping

Today this passage just spoke to me about who God is, it doesn't matter who I am, because he is unchanging and he is just so awesome.
I hate how it is cliche to say he is worthy of our praise but how true are those words.
He is loving and forgiving. He doesn't give us what we deserve but instead give us whats best for us, which is so often blessings heaped on blessings.
So today I am going to try my hardest to remember that he is so worthy of our praise and with that in mind, I hope to intentionally praise him all day.