Sorry everyone! I told you I would be terrible at this blog-writing thing. I feel especially bad about not keeping up with the prayer posts, but hopefully you spent the time praying for the first three stops or even looked ahead at my route to pray for the upcoming countries 🙂 I really hope and intend to be more consistent with my posts from now on. So here's everything you've missed in my life:
Support Update! Praise God for bringing in the support I needed in order to go to training camp in just a few weeks!!! I've been so amazed and blessed by the ways He has provided for me. Thank you for your generous hearts and your submission to God's call to sacrifice your finances! May you be blessed by your obedience and step of faith. Right now, I am just shy of 25% of my total need for the Race. My next goal is to raise an additional $3,000 by June 17th. Please pray that God would provide abundantly and that I would trust in His promises to provide (John 14:14, 1 John 5:14-15, Philippians 4:19, Proverbs16:3…)
Life update: Nothing too exciting… working, preparing for the Race (!!!), preparing for grad school, socializing. Ya'know the usual.
My current obsessions:
mini pretzel sticks, also vanilla yogurt with cinnamon, walnuts, and craisons: my "treat" foods since giving up sweets. You should really try the yogurt combo. It is fantastic! My friend/discipler/pastor's wife/mom-in-Madison (I never know how to refer to you, Tia, but you are such a huge part of my life!) shared this goodness with me. Seriously, I feel like I'm cheating on my no sweets rule because this is so delicious.
metaphors: I never thought I had an especially gifted imagination, but lately I've been so into having visual images of God's invisible attributes. I'm not creative enough to come up with them on my own, but when I hear/read them, they blow my mind. Two that come to mind: "Is prayer your steering wheel or spare tire?" (Thank you Sherry!) and "Lord our relationship is like the sun to the moon; the only light I shine, I shine from you." (Thanks Andrew!)
mini muffin tins: You can make everything miniature and adorable sized. Possibilities include, but are not limited to: cupcakes, muffins, brownies, cornbread…
Romans: As in, the book of the Bible. I STRONGLY encourage each and every one of you to study Romans, like right now. I've been going through it with Tia and it is the best study I've ever done. I feel like everything I've been learning from Romans, I've applied to just about every conversation and situation I've encountered since beginning the study. I've also had the opportunity to spew off most of my memory verses from this study at some point. The book is so good. So relavant. So beautifully and simply written (it's full of metaphors, which I'm loving!). If you're looking for a study to go along with it, Tia and I have been going through "Experiencing the Power of Life-Changing Faith" part of the New Inductive Study Series by Kay and David Arthur and Pete De Lacy
StumbleUpon: this website is a terrible procrastinating tool/time-waster, however I have learned so much! If you don't know what StumbleUpon is, you can Google it, but basically you mark your interests and then click the "stumble" button and it will take you to a random site pertaining to your interests, and then you click, and click, and click. Awesome. There is so much on the internet. Recently I have stumbled upon pictures of India's Festival of Colors, a list of Einstein quotes, a recipe for homemade veggie burgers, instructions on how to hide money in the hinge of a door, information about alternative sleeping patterns, and a game that tests your ability to multi-task.
World Race Prep: I'm so stoked about going on the Race. My backpack is already packed (minus one or two items), so I'm "prepped" in that sense, but I view everything in light of the World Race now. Shrugging everything odd or challenging off as "preparation for the Race" has been my catch-phrase lately. Climbing 3 flights of stairs while juggling eight bags of groceries? World Race prep. Eating something slightly suspicious looking/smelling? World Race prep. Initiating a spiritual conversation? World Race prep. Interpretting baby talk? World Race prep. My life serves as its own training camp.
Alright, I think that's enough for now. Tomorrow I'll post the next prayer blog, as well as a blog that I'm really excited to write about. Want a taste? It's about Culvers. And Jesus. And you. And a girl named Chelsea.
