Called to ministry? Called to Jesus.

Reading Mark 1:16-20

“As Jesus walked beside the Sea of Galilee, he saw Simon and his brother Andrew casting a net into the lake, for they were fishermen. ‘Come, follow me,’ Jesus said, ‘and I will make you fishers of men.’ At once they left their nets and followed Him. When He had gone a little farther, He saw James son of Zebedee and his brother John in a boat, preparing their nets. Without delay He called them, and they left their father Zebedee in the boat with the hired men and followed Him.”

I love all that’s packed into this passage wherein Jesus calls the first disciples. He was calling these men into ministry, and yet within that call, perhaps more completely woven to it and compelling altogether, is the call to follow Him. This is a personal engagement. He called these men specifically, personally.

As Jesus brings us into ministry with people, He calls us fully to His own ministry. This, I believe, isn’t merely as though He’s the “head honcho” and we follow Him about to do His bidding. It is a sustained ministry, meaning He calls us to minister to us. And the fullness and abundance of that “following Him” will bring a fruit: a resulting ministry of “catching” men. Jesus called the disciples to come away with Him (see Mark 6:31.) They spent daily life together. Jesus spent time teaching them and experiencing life with them—ministering the truth and giving of Himself. There was relationship. And as these simple men followed, they came into the fullest ministry—full, meaning, out of the abundance of walking with and knowing Jesus came the overflow of catching others up in the same “net.”

Jesus said He would make them fishers of men. This means process. We are all works in process and without receiving from the personal ministry of the Lord we cannot maintain an outreaching ministry to people. They are indivisible. As we take Jesus’ hand, He, Himself, will personally lead us each into daily opportunities of ministry as well as the more defined “callings” for life as a whole. But I am blessed to know that He makes us fishers of men. We don’t make ourselves that “in the name of Jesus” as though a self-determined duty. He personally calls us just as He called out to the men in those boats. He gives Himself to us fully—He did on the cross! And He will continue that life-giving ministry in our lives, and our lives will be life-giving ministries as a natural result.

The call to ministry is a call to Jesus. Let’s not get caught up in the “ideas” of serving, loving, giving, and reaching out so that those things become the goal of our striving. Let’s strive to simply be with Jesus and follow Him. If we’re constantly with Him we’ll find He’s constantly doing ministry. In us and then in others too.

nap”less”time

My child has boycotted sleep today. I know it’s a common tale. But not common enough to make it a simple thing. What’s common does not equate simplicity. A familiar story doesn’t make it any less than what it truly is: tiring, depleting, sigh….. It’s that kind of day. And though relatable, it’s a present burden that is exactly what “burden” means.

My poor child has found exhaustion and can’t get over it to the beautiful tides of sleep. I, however, could now, at 6:30pm, drift into bliss without a pause. This comfy couch, dim lit room, and then those brief moments of stillness between her fusses welcome and tempt the tired mind. I am tired. Not just my mind. And the still interrupted by the fuss accentuates the fact.

There’s a journal to my right, barely touched; penning prayers is rather difficult in this tired moment. My Bible tops it, even another book lies to my left, neither of which I can gather the kind of concentration to read. So I’m sitting. And every time a pause amidst the crying extends one second, and then another, until it gapes with my hopes that the quiet will stay, I long to sink into the calm. Many times I’m dismayed to find it doesn’t last at all. And my poor little girl goes on with her song of exhaustion. But now… perhaps this time will last.

It didn’t.

reflective ramblings

Time to reflect.

The back windows of the apartment let in mixtures of neighborhood traffic, dogs barking, children crying, and, presently, I sit with the loaming outside and the sounds of my own baby’s fussing rolling down the stairs. The prayer is that she’ll find herself to sleep on this day when she hasn’t been all too successful in keeping it deeply. It’s a new thing for this little one when she’s slept so well and been so chill. The horizon always changes with a newborn. And it comes with the reminder that now, with an emphasis more than ever, I have no control. If only I could make her sleep and keep her sleeping. It’s out of my hands.

The tail end of our communal iced latte is slowly growing more diluted at the bottom of the cup. And I find myself taking Indian-style on the couch wanting to mull over the larger scope of life. So much change. Danny, the hubs, just mentioned earlier how it will be five years this August since that fateful day we met at the end of a sidewalk and our hearts began intertwining. They’ve woven themselves down a crazy road to here: almost 14 months married, moved from home, made a baby. And now “home” is in Medford. For eight months now it’s slowly morphed into that status. When “home” has been elsewhere, particularly one place your whole life, it takes time for the word to truly relocate to the physical reality. But I think it’s finally made it, more or less. Though the reality is still a transition. Life has been one ongoing transition for the past two years! From high school and college graduation, to engaged, to married, to dot, dot dot. Packing in the new experiences to this blurb called life. At least the part of it that’s here, at least. It’s more just a blurb amidst the span of eternity that our reality is subject to

I ramble into deeper things. Guess that’s easy to do. And it’s meandered me into a different setting: Danny’s finished putting the bike away, which he had earlier been working on in the back alley, and now sits beside me, book in hand. I had to remind him of our communal latte still melting away on the coffee table. It’ll get drunk.

We the parents ending the day side-by-side on the couch. It’s a good tradition to be kept. Good conversation, needed reflection, discussion, fellowship and friendship, and the goodness of love growing all can so easily come out on the couch. Even our own private occupations done alongside each other still equates to quality time: he with his book, me with the laptop clickin away. I’ve seen how well we thrive in the grace abounding from evening couch time. God, thank You for our craigslist couch.

The babe’s been quiet for a while now. Bliss for us, and I pray for her. It’s amazing to see her grow. I don’t even feel like I now this baby girl, my daughter, nearly at all. I’m still coming to grips with the reality that she came from me; part Danny, part me, miracle of God. I love her little sweetness. And as I must study and get to know her cues for feeding, sleeping, gas, pooping, etc, it will all transition into finding out her personality, her marvels, her designed beauty. Crazy. This is a lot of life and a lot of new.

Guess bedtime should come sooner tonight. Who knows what this “new” fussy baby will be doing come wee hour feeding. Grace for that.

daily

It’s a date

love covereth

Take these frustrations
The relentless wounds
Take these issues
And the slurs that brew

Wash away my sin of not forgetting
Of lashing over past crimes
Renewing sorrows and freshening sap
Basking in the bitter bites that could fade:
The things that stifle and cease the abundance:
Everything that lives when love simply covereth.

Blow away to no remembrance
What sickens and makes an unsightly soul.
What grievances should be readdressed
When blood has since cried,
The flow already dressed them?

No more sorrow should be had for the sins that have grieved
I need not play out the suffering that was complete
It was enough. Once. And done.

Take them to burial
These losses be lost
It was dealt with in death
I need not deal it out for, then, my keeping
Let it be. Let it rest.
Let Your love simply covereth.

I am an introvert.

I am an introvert.

There’s a lot of pressure when you run with this crowd. In fact, we’re a crowd that doesn’t really run together because we’re all a lot more content being by ourselves or in small numbers. I’m one on a more moderate scale, I suppose. And, problem is, I feel often mistaken for an extrovert. I don’t always walk around in a shell, that is. Actually, I can be very quickly and readily down to earth, which is why, I feel, people expect me to thrive amidst social settings. But, in reality, people can drain me. And I have to be willing to receive this as ok rather than feel pressured by the rest of society that it’s some kind of disorder. Because I do feel pressured and I feel it so much more keenly now, as one still working out their sea legs into adulthood. I have a habit of taking on a certain guilt for being the way I am. And it takes the people nearest and dearest to me to help me even begin to feel comfortable with myself. God made me an introvert. And, as such, I need time away from people, I don’t always say hi to every person I know that I see walking by me at the store, I can’t just do anything social on a whim.

This doesn’t mean I’m not outgoing. I actually can be and sometimes surprise myself at how readily. But, at the end of the day, I need space. And, particularly when thrown into new things, I can only have with me a certain few that I feel completely comfortable with. It’s not something I want others to take personally. It’s just how I am. And it’s really hard to be this way. Because if I’m not willing to exert this reality at all, I constantly live under a looming cloud of stress, feeling as though I must please everyone else; I have to be something that they are comfortable with and completely forfeit my very personality in the process. It’s not awesome.

Yes, I can be crazy, rambunctious, loud, chatty, and pretty open. But I can’t be it all the time. It is part of who I am, but not all. I need privacy. I need space. Though I share a lot pretty openly it doesn’t mean I want to share everything. And I don’t feel people should expect I do. Please honor the introvert and know they aren’t like an extrovert. And for good reason! We’ve all been made uniquely by a Creator of perfect design. He didn’t make us all to walk confidently and comfortably amidst every crowd and conversation. He didn’t intend everybody to thrive within a large circle of friends or social context. And it’s difficult to find this ok when so many find it strange, thinking there must be something wrong that needs fixing when, truly, whether there’s something wrong or not, we’d sometimes just rather not talk about it, or talk at all! Not to just anyone. I have seasons of functioning like quite the recluse. This can become unhealthy, but there is a need for it in its time. I want to be ok with this. I want to feel free to hide away a bit, ignore phone calls, protect and maintain some quiet and privacy. For me to function, I need this.

Please understand the introvert is not the extrovert. Please understand that not everyone is like you. I struggle with that very thing. We can’t go on expecting others to see, process, and respond to things as we would. We are purposed people of diversity. And God finds the introvert as well as the extrovert just as beautiful and will use them uniquely within their specific gifts and calls. I need to start believing this. Otherwise I think discontentment will define my life above all the sweet freedom God has redeemed me for.

Seek to know His heart. He’s given a certain amount of grace to each and called each to function within a different degree of faith. The foundational truth remains that we are given every grace in Him, and faith in His word is perfect and right. Then, as the individual—as how and who He’s created us to be—there must be freedom. He’s called us each to our own. We must remain in that which He’s called us. I think life can be so much more abundant and full if this is received.

Please let me be me. I’m trying to let myself be ok with just that.

The Things That Excite

The sky opened as she watched a new issue of Better Homes and Gardens punch through the mail slot in the door. A bit of light tinged her day. This little event meant relief from the grey gloom of the quiet apartment for about an hour. It would kill some of the tired time until picking her husband up from work. She proceeded to retrieve this small treasure and return to the familiar green sofa that kept her seat for the long afternoons. But, no. She decided to add a little something to this exciting engagement. Setting the fresh issue on the cluttered coffee table, she crossed the dining room to grab a small mug of cold coffee from the lazy pot. To the kitchen to rewarm and add some life with vanilla creamer, she thought something snacky would fit quite nicely to the event. Hoping for a crisp biscotti to appear in the cupboards, it seemed rather unsatisfying to settle for some graham crackers swiped with peanut butter and a small glass of milk. But they soon joined the clutter at the round little coffee table in the living room.

 

She situated herself into the leisurely moment. The magazine shone with so much color. It seemed to illuminate the dim room whose daylight lacked extra due to the clouds outside. Beginning through the pages, her pace remained slow; dipping her little snack in the milk and taking each bite to her mouth.  And there were plenty of the unnecessary ads to breeze through as well. But, I suppose, if it weren’t for those, her hour escape would too quickly pass. Coming upon useful coupons amidst them all was always another little perk. So the ads had their ups.

 

Her pleasure heightened in realizing this month’s issue was thicker, which, of course, meant more to look at and a potentially longer amusement. By the time she polished off her snack, the rewarmed coffee had already cooled. After some minutes spent breezing through pages, and lingering at others to read quaint little blurbs suggesting the new monthly amusements, she took a sip of the cold, vanilla flavored coffee. And for the following moments, she found a simple pleasure in fantasizing about the lush green gardens coupled with the gorgeously accessorized cottages and the decadent desserts towards the back that she hoped someone would go to the trouble of making so she could enjoy them in reality. These moments amidst the attractively laid pages mingled with a far off dream. She thought of these as some kind of oasis or personal paradise. In reality, it was the best sort of distraction for the lethargic day.

 

Coming to the end she’d accomplished two sips of cold coffee and another hour gone. And after sitting for some moments, she returned the coffee to the microwave for a second warm-up, and again found her spot on the couch where her thoughts waited to pass some more time staring out the big, picture window. Together, perhaps, they’d discover some other sort of excitement to carry on until the next perk: going out to get the hubby. Or maybe they’d succumb to a needed nap. She’d take it either way.

sitting thoughts

The escape of a quiet coffee shop: comfort in the picture window-side seat, the slow of the busy, the ability to be and enjoy the luxury of sitting… and supping smooth coffee.

I ponder; I wonder; I question: what’s to be, what will become my life and pursuit? I’m going to be a mother. I’m going to be really tired for a long time. But I want to live to the fullest. I want no excuse to stifle passion. I don’t want the gifts and vocations He’s set before me to remain idle. How will it be? How will it come about? Every time it’s unexpected. Every time the new springs us without any resemblance to what I anticipated. With that I desire the fullest grace to receive and be fully within that, knowing life to the full. Jesus said He came to give life to the full. And I won’t settle for less.

I, in no way, mean to define what that is or write the prescription for it’s achievement. Though I tend to do this, causing myself to believe that the “fullness” will come about by this way or the other. But one thing I’ve discovered quite simply is the chronic condition of discontentment and its knack to linger and follow a person despite the change of circumstance and landscape. I knew this were the case before I even lived it out. I understood the reality that no matter where I go or what new thing comes about I still take myself along for the ride. And there lies my issue. Or issues.

I ache for fullness, sweetness, and enjoyment. I know it’s a state of heart and its attainment doesn’t come with a new place, new thing, new vocation. But so many times I hope it will. And yet I believe these things do count as instruments in bringing about the desired. But perhaps I bank on them far too much. Yes. Yes I do.

For whatever reason I remain restless and wanting. I don’t think this is an altogether bad situation to find oneself in. Is it not better to strive and look towards more rather than find complacency in a life that will forever lack? The world is fallen. We are fallen beings. We are not intended for what this body and world has to now offer. A certain discontent is healthy, then, and quite natural. And then it comes down to what I hope in.

I want to find it all in God. I know that’s where it hides. “For you died, and your life is now hidden with Christ in God” (Colossians 3:3.) I want every bit I can get. So I guess I’ll desire still; ponder; wonder; hope.

The Car From Jesus

This is the story in which our Jesus showed Himself, as always, good and faithful despite our frailties, concerns, and lacking faith. It is that which your prayers and support greatly participated. We were without, and God provided. But not only did He provide for the once pending need, He saw us through in the season of being without. We walked many miles, sometimes in rain, sometimes in cold, but never in complete agony. He gave Medford a mild winter, basically snowless, and He gave us rides in the various cars of the many gracious people orchestrated into our path. Many miles, many cars, the ability to buy groceries, get to church multiple times in a week, and the means for Danny to go to and from work: this is our God’s graciousness. We hoped we’d have a car by Christmas; we remained without. We prayed and sensed the need more eminent, the provision drawing near; January came and went. I had booked a one-way flight to Spokane for March 1^st, my return trip mostly contingent upon us buying, or receiving, a vehicle sometime in February. Danny would then drive up towards the end of my visit and we’d return home together… in the car… that hadn’t yet materialized. But we moved forward with our plan.

So many ups and downs through this season; a lot of angsts and frustrations and learning. We knew it would always be by His grace that we’d have and be able to maintain the demands of a car. We have journeyed to a new level of desperate dependence on Him. These are good things, but the moments and days and time that went into their learning was way harder and more trying. “Easier said than done,” seems to be the perfect way to put it.  And there’s so much more to learn of faith and believing and trusting. No one can sum the trials up into a cliché statement. They just are and will be as God has them.

At the beginning of January, we delved, more so, into our car search as we felt the Lord leading. We went in thinking we had a certain amount, test drove a few cars over the months here, and finally thought we found the car. Our “amount” had changed as the Lord called us to use some of it to pay off a specific debt (a huge blessing), and yet we were under the impression of a certain amount yet remaining, enough for us to purchase this car. We went to the bank the day of the test-drive and found out differently. We were short one grand. And we didn’t have it then to spend on a car. More debt was out of the question. Another curveball thrown and in confusion we went on without a car. He knew (He always does), but that doesn’t change the reoccurring frustration throughout life of not knowing, understanding and then dying to know “why.”

So time went on and I wrestled with growing discontentment. The little conveniences of life that a car blesses you with began to gnaw at my mind, along with the humbly dynamic of always asking others for transportation. And time and time again I was challenged with where I place my hope. I knew having a car wouldn’t be a “solve-all” for the struggles of life. If anything, a car brought on more demands. Even more, through our car search process, Danny and I learned to better communicate, discuss, and make important calls as a couple. We grew closer through the season of wrestling. I came to a place of discouragement, with the car and other “life” concerns, to which I merely surrendered. Not exactly a good surrender; I just couldn’t think about it, couldn’t go there, in some ways, I gave up.

One evening, as Danny and I spent time reading, I came upon a verse in Isaiah—simply flipped open to it (yes, sometimes God does work in the “flip Bible open randomly” way.) It was chapter 40 verses 27-31:

“Why do you say, O Jacob, and complain, O Israel, ‘My way is hidden from the LORD; my cause is disregarded by my God’? Do you not know? Have you not heard? The LORD is the everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of the earth. He will not grow tired or weary, and His understanding no one can fathom. He gives strength to the weary and increases the power of the weak. Even youths grow tired and weary, and young men stumble and fall; but those who hope in the LORD will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not grow faint.”

My heart was pierced with the directness of the questions. I had fallen under the belief that God didn’t care, why would He provide, would He really change the situation or intervene in the great and very specific way we needed. The admonition here came so clearly, particularly, too, in “His understanding no one can fathom.” The reminder: His ways are not our ways (see also Isaiah 55:8-9) and the obvious exhortation to place hope in Him once again.

That same night, it seems Danny and I both were individually met with personal encouragement in Philippian 4:19. I don’t know how it all happened, we weren’t necessarily reading Philippians, but the verse itself came to mind (for me at least): “And my God will meet all your needs according to His glorious riches in Christ Jesus.” You can’t get much more specific; when it says “all your needs” I’m sure that means “all.” Hope renewed again.

“The car” had already been in motion a whole week prior to these revelations. I was at a church mom’s group I attend at a smaller church in Central Point. There was a discussion group time and I had shared with the ladies at my table about what God had been doing in my life personally through our ongoing “car need.” Immediately after I shared, the gal sitting on my right turned to me voicing that they (her husband and her) were selling a car. In the conversation following I learned that it was given to them by her in-laws so they could sell it for the money: a 2001 or 2002 Ford Taurus. (More of the details came later.) I in turn shared that we didn’t have much to pay for a car, explaining to her how all that came about, and she also acknowledged that they were asking more for it than what we had. But along with that she shared an impression she was getting that they were meant to give it to us for what we had. She had already texted her husband to have him think and pray about it as well.

I didn’t get excited then, I have to admit it. We didn’t know much about the car, and, despite her impression, I wasn’t convinced it was the one for us. I remained very doubtful and skeptical. We were going to possibly see the car the next day, but timing didn’t work out. The days went on and I knew I needed to follow up again (they’d been holding off reposting it on craigslist so we could see it first.) Things finally worked out for us to view and test-drive the car. I felt, shamefully later, very doubtful and rather disdaining about the whole thing. But we got in the car that night, impressed by how well-kept it appeared and the smooth ride it offered, and were shocked to find the real worth of the car. Out of curiosity I had asked and was completely surprised in realizing it was a way nicer model of the car, causing it to be worth much more than we had previously thought. Basically this couple was offering it to us for $1,400 less than its worth. Danny and I got inside the apartment that night skeptical in a whole different way.

We talked. We prayed. There was a sweet process of humbling and conviction to follow. I felt quite ashamed for having thought so scornfully earlier on, harboring an entirely pessimistic attitude, to put it lightly. Immediate reminders of “out of His glorious riches in Christ Jesus” came to mind, for is His church not part of His glorious riches in Christ?? In fact, the context Paul spoke this verse was having received aid from the church in Thessalonica and encouraging the Philippians that they, too, would know His provision. However the Lord chooses, He does it. But the Body of Christ is a beautiful tool, indeed, coming to each other’s needs, much like the human body truly functions.

We remembered times before when God has provided. The ring Danny gave me bears sweet testimony, which we often need reminded of. Danny thought he’d only be able to get me a wedding band, he had a certain “cap” in mind. He came away with a beautiful engagement ring, an estate ring! (even better) that was just perfect for me, and happened to be even less than the sterling silver band he had picked out. God is so good. And, quite similarly, we went to the bank to find we had one grand short of what we needed for the car, we thought, we were going to buy. But God knew He had something far better, and He could do it with the modest amount we had. God doesn’t need fields of plenty; He’ll take the few barley loaves and fish. And He does so much more.

I was reminded of words a dear mentor of mine had shared with me just days earlier: “God never does it the way we want or think. He always does it in a way we wouldn’t expect.” Initially, I never even got excited about this car. I didn’t believe it could be the one! And it was nothing like the “kind of car” we thought we’d get. But it was so much more, because it was Jesus’ car for us.

We were decided and felt affirmed by the Lord as we prayed over it all. Promises God had given us flooded through our heads to our hearts that evening, things He’d given as milestones in past moments. Malachi 3:10: “Bring the whole tithe into the store house, that there may be food in my house. Test me in this… and see if I will not throw open the floodgates of heaven and pour out so much blessing that you will not have room enough for it.” This money was all we had for a car; it was His money that He had provided. A word also from the Lord: “There’s always more grace.” He was going to take care of us, never to leave us in the lurch even when mistakes are made, but always extending His care, providing, showing grace.

That night I was restless with all sorts of mixed anxieties: excitement, what if’s, all of it. I was given a line from a song, “release your doubt in My love” and that familiar verse in Psalms, “Taste and see that the LORD is good.” He spoke them so perfectly to quiet my fears. They resonated with all that God had been encouraging us with. Even a song Danny had played on the guitar earlier that night, “I’m running to Your arms, running to Your arms! The riches of Your love will always be enough!” His glorious riches, the riches of His love: our hope.

I could continue to think of so many things. But, to make it brief, we stepped out in faith, and I drove home with the car the following evening. I had gotten in touch with the gal earlier that morning to let her know our decision. And even after letting her know, we found His blessings poured out. I called on some childbirth classes we wanted to sign up for at the hospital, ended being covered by our insurance: free. Setting up our insurance later on: they hadn’t applied a discount we had to the quote we had received earlier: $600 cut off our annual premium. Transferring title: we didn’t have to pay all we thought initially: $86 cheaper. Danny did our taxes: getting an unexpectedly bomb tax return.

God is good, people. He gave us a car. But, for Him, I’m sure it wasn’t even about that. He did so much more.

So this is how it bodes….

Hello! Much love and greetings from the Porter family “sprig.” If you’ve been wondering, it does indeed bode well. We’ve been off showing Oregon some “Porter” and have officially added two and a half to the Medford population. I consider it a small enough city that this contribution is significant. Danny, me, and little Porter on the way are running loose on this town—and I mean literally, since we are without a car. So we’ve entered the green state involuntarily going green, utilizing our legs and bike like never before. Considering I’m miss preggo now, it’s nice to be whooped right into shape. And Danny manages well getting to work which is about a 20 minute to half hour walk or 10 minute ride.

So with this introduction, you should now be fully aware that we are pregnant, carless, but sweetly employed.  And we have been blessed despite the obscurity of this present state. God provided Danny with a job at Harry and David’s retail store here in town. They have national business selling specialty gift packages of candies and fruits. But he works at a local store, much like a market, and enjoys what he does: mostly stocking and organizing backroom, but sometimes on the floor offering samples and helping with sales. It’s been a timely blessing which includes a wonderful employee discount. It looks like he’ll be staying on past seasonal, but we will need additional employment after the season since hours will drop. Danny already has a quite promising prospect with a newer business: Empire Medical. The company functions as an “in-between” for specific medical providers and medical supply vendors. God truly threw this opportunity right in Danny’s lap. His job would involve phone time with vendors and clients, as well as working with the company’s databases. It’s pretty incredible, since this was much of Danny’s job description during his internship down at GFA. God’s ways are beautiful.

Baby’s cooking! If you didn’t know, we’re expecting a “mini us” in late May. No, we don’t know the gender yet, and yes, we’ve been talking over names. We’ve ruled out “Manny” and “Danica.” And, in conclusion, we’re considering keeping the finalized name a surprise. Also, if you must know, this little event was “planned” as far as our planning goes, since God has the sovereign say in the end. There are now those familiar feelings that life brings of excitement, fleeting anxieties, and surrealism. No one’s ever seen a part- Danny- part-Monica. It will be a sweet thing, indeed. I was recently approved for OHP (Oregon Health Plan) coverage, and have been on the hunt for the right practitioner. God willing, I’m hoping to be seen by the end of the month or early January. I will then be due for the renowned “gender-disclosing” ultrasound.

God’s been so good to provide friendships and fellowship. I made a sweet friend over the past month; her name is Petra. She and I connected quite quickly, and, upon meeting, we were astounded to hear she had done an internship at a ministry down in Dallas area over the past two years. It wasn’t GFA, but still! CRAZY! She has been a HUGE blessing to me; I was in dire need of a friend. Danny has also spent some sweet time with a group of brothers from our church. And we’ve met some great people who’ve offered us rides, fellowship, and, one brother sometimes even lends us his car. We cannot forget to mention the Wilcox family (who also moved from Spokane and attended our church there). Their friendship and generosity in helping us get settled has been such a God-send. And we were blessed to be able to help them, earlier on, with some of the renovations on their new home down here.

To get down to the nitty gritty, transitions have been hard. For me personally, this season has provided a lot of time to process things past, which, though good and needed, has been a struggle. Danny, too, desires patience for where God’s placed us now and continues to seek Him for the vision He has for our family. We’re both still learning much about functioning in our roles of “husband and wife.” Yet God has blessed us so sweetly with a closeness that keeps growing. The prospect of being parents scares me, excites Danny (goes to exemplify our different personalities, wink*), and leaves us both anticipating a great unknown. It’s a battle to cling to God’s promises, but they, and He, will always remain steadfast and true. That’s gotta be the handhold when times get “testy”; they have been… I’m reminded of a song: “Oh, no! You never let go! Lord, You never let go of me!”

We miss Spokane and all of you, particularly during this Christmas season. Our hearts will forever remain where there actually is snow. We feel lavished with your love, your support, and your prayers. And we long for our plethora of coffee shop “hubs” with all of the barista family we have grown to love and cherish as well as the bagels. We most definitely await our next visit with great anticipation and longing. But for now, we pray you are well, enriched by the rough roads, encouraged by the smooth (not talking about the potholes), and, most importantly, that you would know, beyond any doubt, that you are dearly. Loved.

 

Take care & many blessings,

Monica, Danny, and Baby