The Art of Celebration
I have been sitting at my computer for a while wondering what in the world I should blog about. Life doesn’t seem as exciting these days now that I’m not living every day in a foreign country. It seems mundane and somewhat boring.
In the last few days I have watched some movies, read some books and bought blinds for the windows in my room.
I think the trouble I am finding here at home is that I let it become boring and mundane. I don’t know how it ever could be that if we are truly running after Jesus and building Kingdom. Every day in every moment I get to partner with Jesus. I get to see through His eyes. I get to spread His love. I get to tell people about what He did for them. I get to look at all of creation and see that His character and attributes are displayed for all of us to see. How could it ever be boring?
Because in the midst of buying blinds and hanging them, I wrestled through some things with the Lord. In the last few days I have sat down and taken inventory of what 2017 was. All of the goodness of it and I’ve celebrated it in a big way. I have taken a look at what God and I want 2018 to be and how I am going to run after that. What dreams do I have for this coming year and how in the world will I let it be anything but ordinary?
At church on Sunday the message was about reflecting on this last year. One thing I am coming to realize about our culture is that we do really well at focusing on the negative of everything that is happening. We do really well to look at what was hard and I have seen countless posts that say “2017, I’m glad you’re over”. I don’t want to discredit the hard things of this past year for people. It’s been hard for America as a collective with all of the shootings and natural disasters. We’ve lost good people. Parents have lost babies. There is no doubt it’s been a tough year. But, I think the Lord wants us to shift our perspective. I think it’s time to start living out the verses about thanksgiving and praises continually being on our lips. If you know anything about diet then you know that your body craves what you feed it. If you are eating a lot of sugar then you are going to crave more sugar but if you are eating vegetables then your body will crave all the vegetables.
It’s the same for ungratefulness and gratefulness. Fear and faith. Our news stations constantly feed us all the bad that is happening and it’s making us a nation that lives out of fear and fear makes us do crazy things. Again, I get it. There are bad things happening and we need to be aware but what about all of the good in the world? What about how Jesus is moving in and around you? How people are coming to know Him and finding freedom? What about the ones that are still reaching out to the victims of the hurricanes long after the media stopped covering it. What about the ones that are on the ground in foreign countries taking in orphans from the streets or the ones right in our backyard that are being foster parents for kids whose parents just need a little more help?
I look back at 2017 and sure, there are some regrets. There are some things I would rather never live through again. But there are so many beautiful things that deserve the most attention. There were people who came to know Him and orphans who felt loved. There were moments when Jesus felt so far away I couldn’t have heard Him if He yelled and then there were times when He was so close that I could hear the faintest whisper.
That’s what I’m choosing to focus on. The times when He was whispering and I could hear it. Give weight to those hard things. Grieve. Be angry. Then, pick up joy and peace. Tie love around your soul. Be thankful because it changes the way we live. The way we connect with people. The way we connect with Jesus.
It’s the art of celebration.
Update on my Mentoring: I leave THIS Friday for Peru!! I will run a 5 day debrief for Gap L where we will have worship, teachings, team debriefs, one on ones and adventure and fun as a whole squad. Then, I will be joining my squad leaders as they get the chance to unplug for a whole entire week to rest, refill and gain new perspective as they jump into the 2nd half of their time leading! They get to put their phones away and I will be the point of contact for the whole squad for the week. After that I will spend time with the teams doing ministry and just hanging out with them. This is the part of my job that I love because I get to be face to face discipling them instead of through emails and glitchy phone calls!
I am also still in need of about $500 in monthly support! I would love if you would ask the Lord if you are being called to partner with Adventures in Missions in all that we are doing around the world. If so, hit that donate button. If you become a monthly donor, you will get a really awesome Alpaca Wool Blanket from South America!!! Handmade. Comfy. Huge. I know you’re all freezing.
Choose a box, let me know, give that amount monthly and a blanket is all yours! If we will fill up the boxes the I am fully funded and you don’t have to hear me asking for money as often!! So, throw up some prayers and consider partnering with the Lord through Adventures in Missions!
I also love one-time donations if that is all you would like to give. At this point every little bit counts! If you choose to do that you’ll also click that donate button.
I am so, so grateful for all of the people that are currently monthly supporters. Your prayers and financial provision means more than you will ever know and I am in complete awe of how the Lord is providing through you! I couldn’t do this job without you and I know that Adventures in Missions couldn’t run as a non-profit organization without you! Thanks for everything and Happy New Year!
