Since my last post, I've seen God's hand in a number of other ways. I finished my 30-day devotional challenge that I was doing (called "Thirsty"), and I started another one (called "Hungry"...same author). I found the first one, "Thirsty", at a Christian book shop here called Footprints. They have a lower level that's all secondhand books, and I've found quite a few treasures there. :) Anyway, I picked up "Thirsty" thinking that it seemed like a pretty good devotional, and I liked the idea of doing a 30-day challenge. I saw the "Hungry" one there as well, but because it was in the secondhand section, there was writing on a bunch of the pages. At the time, I felt as though it would be weird to buy a devotional that someone else had used and written his/her private thoughts in....so I passed it up. After all, I didn't even know if I liked the "Thirsty" one! To make a long story short, I loved the "Thirsty" devotional. It helped make my prayer times much more fruitful, and I expanded my knowledge of Scripture quite a bit. Plus it allowed for a lot of reflection and journaling, which I love. So about a week or so ago, on the 30th day of the "Thirsty" challenge, I felt a bit bummed that I didn't just buy the "Hungry" one, despite the writing on the pages. I decided to go back to Footprints and see if the "Hungry" devotional was still there. When I got to Footprints, I walked down the stairs to the lower level secondhand section, hoping not to have to search too hard to find what I was looking for. There was also a tiny doubt in my mind that it might not even be there. I got to the bottom of the stairs, and as soon as I looked out at the books, there it was. "Hungry." Seriously...it was right in front of me. on the first shelf that I laid my eyes upon. AND it was on clearance---70% off! AND...ready for this? NO WRITING ON ANY OF THE PAGES. It was a brand new (but still secondhand) book! I took a minute to praise God and thank Him for providing this devotional for me...and for restoring the pages...and then I went back upstairs to purchase my treasure. Mission accomplished. I was so excited I even told the store manager about my great find! :) I'm now on day 12 of the "Hungry" 30-day challenge, and I can't wait to see how the Lord works through this one.
This past weekend Chrissy and I held an overnight for a group of 13-15 year old girls. These girls are from the group in the Nazareth youth program (NYPD) that I am responsible for (the Senior Group). We had so much fun with them, and we actually got some sleep (though not very comfortably). We did some worship in the beginning, followed by a short talk and activity about edification (building up/encouraging each other). The girls seemed to enjoy the talk and the activity, so I was happy about that. I think they actually learned more about edification too! :) After that we just had fun...I brought all my nail polish and did their nails, we had all kinds of sweets and junk food, and we watched a movie. Despite all the talk we got beforehand about not getting any sleep that night, we got a fair amount of sleep and had a lot of fun with the girls. Success!
I want to share how grateful I am for my pastoral leader, Elaine. Not only is she a wonderful woman of the Lord, but she cares so much for me...even though she hasn't known me for very long. She has graciously opened her house to me as a place to come if I need to get away from here for a little bit. She lives right around the corner (literally...a 2 minute walk from my house), and she told me I could just come there and hang out without calling first, and I could even use her house to have my prayer times on occasion. Monday was one of those days when I needed to get away for a little bit. I had been feeling a bit overwhelmed with some things, so I took up Elaine's offer and came over to her house. Although she had a friend over, she allowed me to come in and have my prayer time...and I had one of the most wonderful prayer times I've ever had. I cried out to God, told Him everything that was burdening me, and then let Him fill me with peace and joy. I went through quite a rollercoaster of emotions, but in the end I felt so much more peaceful and happy than when I came in. I know that's evidence of the power of the Holy Spirit and the true peace that God brings. Thanks Elaine for the use of your home and for opening your heart to me.
Overall I'm really enjoying my year here---I'm already 1/4 of the way into it! I've been blessed by meeting so many great people here and learning more about them. I'm learning more about community life (both the blessings AND the stress of it!) and what it's like to be a part of, essentially, a big family of believers who encourage and lead one another on in the journey of faith. I'm also learning what it means to be dedicated in my own prayer life. I know I need to give God a good amount of time every day to read His word, listen to His voice, and record (in my journal) His blessings and responses to my prayers, as well as my own life experiences and struggles. This is a huge part of my life and makes such a difference in my day, my interactions with others, and most importantly, my relationship with God. I think that actually getting myself to spend this quality time with God is where the discipline comes in, though. I can so easily get distracted with other things...namely Facebook, email, or watching TV...and then of course, serving the people here in Ireland and working at the radio station. With all these distractions and just the general busy-ness of life, my day--and my opportunities to spend quality time with God--can just slip away. I have to make a conscious effort to not only pray throughout the day, but to make sure I get a good chunk of "God time" every day. When I say I "have to"...it may sound like it's a negative thing...or something like a chore, but I hope you get what I'm trying to say. I love spending time with God. He is, afterall, the reason I'm living. The joy of my heart. The one I strive to be like. :) I'm very excited that Christmas is coming up--I love celebrating Christ's birth, and I'm looking forward to celebrating it in a new way here in Ireland with my new friends and family. It'll be hard being away from my family in Michigan, but I know the Lord has me here for a reason and I have to rely on Him for joy and peace during this Christmas season.I am praying for all of you--my family, friends, and supporters--that Christ will fill you with His love, joy, and peace this Advent as Christmas draws near. Be expecting good things! "For unto us a child is born; unto us a Son is given. He will reign upon the earth; He will reign in the heavens. And His name will be called Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace." - Isaiah 9:6
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