Birthdays and Wine Tasting!

I am now officially in my upper 20's. I guess I've been there awhile, but its funny how I freaked out at 26 and now a few years later, I really do feel like life has gotten richer, fuller, and better.

I don't have my ducks in a row in some senses (married, kids, steady job..hehe) but I have the adventure of Hume minstries, and children's ministries, i'm working on my masters, I've seen God move more in the last 2 years in my life and in others lives than I have in a long time, and I'm in a position where I can see him priming me for being a part of his global kingdom movement to spread his word and disciple the nations.

I feel very pumped.

I just visited California for the weekend and enjoyed sunny 75 degree weather, visited my good girlfriends from college, home and hume, and went wine tasting in Napa for my birthday....AMAZING stuff.

It was funny though; i had the "at home" feeling when pulling up to the Chicago airport. Not because I love everything about Chicago (though i totally love it, i just am strugglin' with the cold!). I feel at home, because God has truly given me a neat community, purpose, and vision.

Cheers to my 28th year. I think its going to stellar.

They are preachin' revival

You may or may not agree with this, but its worth looking at...so give a moment of your time.

In the last 6 months or so I keep encountering different ministries, pastors, preachers, prophets, and prayer warriors alike from different ministries around the world and in the Chicago area that are preaching the upcoming season of God pouring out his spirit and a season of revival coming. I know in some respects this is always preached and we always wait in expectation for this to happen.

But the intensity with which this is being preached by those who are in tune with his Spirit I find interesting. A season where harvest will be happening, where God will move in America like he is in many African and Latin American countries.

"In my time of favor I will answer you, in the day of salvation I will help you; I will keep you and will make you to be a covenant for the people, to restore the land and to reassign its desolate inheritances, to say to the captives, 'Come out,' and to those in darkness, 'Be free!'
Isaiah 49:8

Food for thought...

If you get a chance, check out kingdomsendingcenter.org ...they do conferences around the nation with this vision in mind.

Am I about advancing his kingdom here on earth?

I haven't moved!

I realized today its been a record year for me. For the first time in 8 years I am in the same geographic location for a consistent year. College I was always gone for summers, working for Hume I did seasonal stints where I stayed up to 9 months at a time and then left for the winter season or summer season. Sonora I stayed for 10 months.

But I have officially stayed in one location for a whole year!! And soon it will be close to two! I don't know what life holds after May 11th, but I am open to staying or going.

I feel like I should have an anniversary party!

I'm sorry Hume, I'm working for another camp

I leave on Saturday morning for 2 weeks to go up to work for Honeyrock! I am helping with the Wheaton College freshman orientation that is 1 week of mountain biking, rock climbing, canoeing, teambuilding, and hanging out! I will be leading a group of 10 freshman girls around and hopefully helping them be less nervous!

After that, I am co-leading book discussion with that group with a professor from the college. The book is Embracing the Love of God by James Bryant. All in all I'm stoked! And also what I find intruiging as I read through this book, its right up the vein of what God's been drilling into my head over and over this year. "Live out of my love," "operate out of my love!" He's been whispering it, shouting it, sending it through friends, sermons, and the like until slowly my heart has started to lean into him. What is the surest test of whether I've learned it or not though, is can I give it away? Can I give this radical love away? That's the test with these girls!

Yet, its not Hume:) So I'm not going to compare. But I'll be glad to be up in the mountains for a wee-bit.

Coldplay's Viva la Vida!

If you are interested in downloading Coldplay's live album for FREE go to

www.coldplay.com

and download their leftrightleftrightleft CD (click on the butterfly!)

Also worth checking out on youtube is a piano/cello version of Viva La Vida by Coldplay and Taylor Swift's Love Story

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0v3d6SFcDys

Enjoy!!

Ode to my year of Wheaton

I was just reflecting over the last 2 minutes how God has blessed me this year. One of the things I've been super blessed by this year in Wheaton as a grad student has been in the area of girl friendships. After being in ministry at Joshua and not getting to invest as much in friendships, and then being Sonora where all the girls my age are missing or in a different life place (though still absolutely amazing) its been something I rejoice in to have girls my age who are super solid, and up for adventures, jogging, or just plain old coffee in a coffee shop near a fire.

Here's a shout out to my friend Chelsea who just moved with her husband back to California. I graduated with her from Biola and she was here with her husband robby for the year! They will be missed. Also in this pic is another dear californian friend who i met the first i was hear. Thanks for all the coffee dates girls! Chelsea...enjoy so cal for me!

Small World

I lead a group teambuilding the other day, and had a "small world" experience.

It was a group of college christian soccer players that were bound for Brazil for a 2 week missions trip that were under the umbrella of the (MAI) missionary athletes international. Oddly enough I had attended soccer camps that they had put on when I was in sixth grade, and apparently one of the main offices is right by Biola's campus. After the "do you know" this person etc... exchange, i realized my world overlapped with this organization on 3 fronts, the Bay area soccer camps, Biola, and now Wheaton, IL.

The church is one big web! I love it!

Check out this amazing soccer camp ministry/organization:
http://www.chicagoeagles.com/