Refreshed

Today I was able to spend some really good time with my Father, processing through some of the things He taught me this summer and some of the things I need to continue working on and praying through. I rode my bike for awhile, listened to some beautiful music, read my journal, read some scripture, wrote an evaluation from the summer and journaled. I feel very refreshed and excited to process more. I didn't think I would be using the word excited to describe this processing, but that is how I currently feel :)

Tonight was our second meeting as a staff for Christian Challenge. We talked through some events we will be having soon and we prayed. It is so good to come together and lift our needs to Him. Not only to lift those needs, but to trust He will fill them. I am SO excited for this year to begin. I'm anxious to meet new people (go figure) and to learn and grow with them in the Lord.

Our first "event" will be a Leader get-together where we will get to know one another and share some wisdom, advice and knowledge with some students who will be leading small groups and playing on our worship team.
The next day is dorm move in! That is a fun time of helping people get settled into their rooms, seeing "deer-in-headlight" faces, and being a comforting smile to students who are maybe leaving their homes for their first long-time-away-from-home-trip.
Tuesday we will have a table set-up on campus for students to come by and learn more about our ministry.
And Wednesday is the first day of classes!
Our first Thursday night meeting will be the 20th, which will be immediately followed by an Ice Cream Party (to start off the year right ;).

As far as support raising goes, I have been really blessed to see such a great response from those I know and love. I am not at my goal (not really close at all), but I am very confident that Father will provide. As I spoke about last time, this Call of His is true and I have no doubts at all about it - therefore, I know He will be faithful in providing - in all ways. I am at about 20-30% of my monthly goal. Please lift this to God. Ask that He would burden the hearts of those He wants to give to this ministry and that He would remind those who desire to give. Also ask that He would make "my part" clear to me - that I would know how to encourage people in giving and how I must assist in reaching this financial goal.



Some of the scripture I read today was Philippians 1:1-11. It says:
" 1Paul and Timothy, servants of Christ Jesus,
To all the saints in Christ Jesus at Philippi, together with the overseers and deacons:
2Grace and peace to you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.
3I thank my God every time I remember you. 4In all my prayers for all of you, I always pray with joy 5because of your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now, 6being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.
7It is right for me to feel this way about all of you, since I have you in my heart; for whether I am in chains or defending and confirming the gospel, all of you share in God's grace with me. 8God can testify how I long for all of you with the affection of Christ Jesus.
9And this is my prayer: that your love may abound more and more in knowledge and depth of insight, 10so that you may be able to discern what is best and may be pure and blameless until the day of Christ, 11filled with the fruit of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ—to the glory and praise of God."

These words accentuate my heart and my feelings toward my summer team. Together we partnered in the sharing of the Gospel. From the day we were each accepted to go on the team together, God began a work in us and continued to work throughout the summer and is working even now, and I am confident that He will continue this work until the day of completion, the day of Jesus. I have them in my heart and I miss them, and this is “right for me to feel this way”. I miss them with the affection of Christ. I enjoyed each day with them, and each minute I spent investing in our team and each of them individually, and on this day – I miss them. They are not that far, but we do not meet regularly and this is my current struggle. But I know, just as God called Paul to chains for the advancement of the Gospel, He has called each of us home after our summer trip in order to serve his people of Emporia and of Kansas City, in order to share His Good News. I am asking Him for a peace about this.