I gave my parents an assignment.
“Hey! Could you write about whatever comes to mind in this season for me? It can be just a few sentences”.
My parents have been some of the best parents I could have ever asked for and their words mean more than life to me. I figured if their words hit me hard enough, or if they spoke to me I would post them.
So… I am posting them. Not because of any other reason besides the fact that these words impacted me and I pray it speaks to someone else too.
MY FATHERS WORDS- “The young lady who is an adventurous, bold, courageous, faith-filled, walking heart-for-others was not always this way. I recall when she would stand on the fringe and just watch. She seemed to have a default of hesitancy, only jumping in after long and careful observation. And even then, something held her back. For the first season of her life, her reservations about situations would dominate her response. Somewhere along the way she had an internal shift.
Maybe it was her first trip to the Dominican Republic, maybe it was her small victory of making the cheer squad as a freshman. Or, more likely, it was simply just God working in her as she continually sought after him. Just like life, our relationship with God is a process that is constantly evolving. Not one of us is like the other, and as such, no relationship with God is like the other. We all have our own journeys with their own timelines. Each of our paths are unique to us, and for good reason.
I often look at Courtney now and am inspired by where her path with God had taken her. I’m continually amazed at how she functions with so much faith despite any fear and hesitancy of the unknown. It’s one thing to hear common phrases like “childlike faith”, but to see someone truly living that out – totally trusting in God’s power, direction, and provision – that’s an inspiration we all can learn from. As a parent, it’s a beautiful thing.”
MY MOTHERS WORDS- “Courtney has always amazed me. I have one memory of her seeing the fun and joy when the majority saw it as sheer terror.
When she was about, seven or eight we went to visit our family in Miami, Florida. One the day we were to fly out of Fort Lauderdale Airport the weather was not good. Lots of rain, winds, thunder and lightening I even wondered if we would be able to fly. We went through the normal boarding procedures, settled in our seats and then waited.
Courtney has always loved flying. I love flying when we are not in a storm.
When the pilot came on the intercom, he said our takeoff would be very bumpy as we passed through the storm. I began to sweat a little but had two kids with me and I thought I needed to be strong for them. Within a few minutes, we began our takeoff into one of the bumpiest and most turbulent takeoffs I have ever experienced. From where I was sitting I could see the overhead compartments shaking, the plane was going from side to side and then up and down. At times, we dipped so fast we literally came up off our seats. People made little screams through out the plane. I was praying the entire time, sweating and feeling nauseous. I had one child repeating “I don’t like this, I don’t like this” and my Courtney was literally cheering with excitement telling me how much this felt like a roller coaster ride. She thought it was sheer fun and excitement. Her exact words were, “This is fun, and it feels like a rollercoaster ride.” I was in sheer amazement over her words and response to the most turbulent takeoff I have ever experienced so far. She helped me on that flight more than she knows. I found strength in her not the other way around.
Fast-forward almost ten years. She has flown all over the world and I am sure on some bumpy and uncomfortable flights. Yet, that has never stopped her. She is willing to head into the storm and ride it out with a joy that comes from the LORD.
It is evident that she has a desire to seek, find and follow the plans the LORD has set out for her. As Courtney goes through challenging situations, my prayer is that the Joy of the LORD in her remains strong and will be a testimony to those around her.
Your joy on the day of our flight years ago helped me to see our situation from a different perspective. Joy is always better than fear.
I am so proud of you Courtney!
Love,
Cindy aka Mom”
I love them. They are an example of what it looks like to love and I aspire to raise my kids with as much love and Jesus as they have. In these past few seasons of my crazy life they have been behind it all and been my biggest supporters. Coming into this season of leading I wouldn’t have said yes without their guidance and perspective.
Thank you my dear parents for being my anchors and pointers back to the throne in all my crazy journeys all over the world… literally.
FUNDRAISING UPDATES:
- I am almost half way to my Fundraising goal!!! (You can donate to the link above if you feel called!)
- My t-shirt fundraiser is over and it was super successful! Thank you to all who had bought one!
- I am in the process of some cool fundraisers up my sleeve… stay tuned!
PRAYER REQUESTS:
- Unity in my team
- Energy in our days
- Patience in our words and actions
- HEALTH. All the health.
- SAFETY. All the safety.
- Joy that can’t be contained in our days.
- BOLDNESS in the ministry efforts to come.
