Jehovah Jireh

Two years ago, I remember standing at kids camp with armed stretched out and tears rolling down my face as I cried out to God, "Lord, be my Provider." I had recently graduated from college, quit my dead-end job and for the first time since age 16, I was broke and unemployed. It was a difficult season in my life and I was desperate for God. I was doing everything I possibly could to find a new job but I wasn't going anywhere. I needed God to step in.

A rendering of the hospital my company in building in midtown.

Three (long) months after that day, I was sitting behind a computer desk at my current job. Not only did God come through as my Provider, but He exceeded all my expectations. God supplied me with all the things I ever wanted in a job... Being able to write creatively? Check. Work independently? Check. Good pay? Check. Vacation and benefits? Check. All-expense-paid travel? Check. What about a Christian boss? Yep, that's a check too! It was almost too good to be true. And yet, it was true; but only because this job was given to me directly by the Lord. And I knew it. There's no way my interview skills were that stellar, or my background and education that phenomenal. This was all God. There's no shadow of a doubt about it.

View of downtown Sacramento from the hospital rooftop

Because I love what I do and the company that I work for, you can imagine how sad I felt about leaving my job to move to Dallas (in 51 days - but who's counting?). So, before I made the bold step of telling my company that I'm leaving, I made an even bolder step. I asked my boss if I could stay with the company, but work part-time and remotely from Dallas. It was a wild proposition. I doubted they'd take the bite, but, I was willing to risk it. And so I did. Breaking the news to the boss went well (or so I thought), and for the next three weeks I didn't hear back anything. I was simply told that management was considering my proposition.

Again, I looked to my Jehovah Jireh, and asked him to be my Provider. He was faithful to His name before and I knew He would be faithful again. Just as God provided the ram for the sacrifice in place of Isaac for Abraham, I rested on the promise that He would provide for me. He was, in fact, Jehovah Jireh.

"And Abraham called the name of that place Jehovah-Jireh. As it is said to this day, In the mount of Jehovah it shall be provided." (Genesis 22:14)

Yesterday, I came in to work to find the red light of my answering machine blinking. It was wonderful news! The company had OKed my proposition, and they were even giving me an intern to help me do my job well remotely. I was ecstatic! Immediately, the verse in Matthew 6:33 came to mind, "But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you." Over and over, God continues to show me His faithfulness and His provision. Praise the Lord!

This whole experience also brings to mind a beautiful old hymn, Great is Thy Faithfulness. Enjoy the music here, and be encouraged by the lyrics:

"Great is Thy faithfulness,” O God my Father,
There is no shadow of turning with Thee;
Thou changest not, Thy compassions, they fail not
As Thou hast been Thou forever wilt be.

“Great is Thy faithfulness!” “Great is Thy faithfulness!“

Morning by morning new mercies I see;
All I have needed Thy hand hath provided—

“Great is Thy faithfulness,” Lord, unto me!

Summer and winter, and springtime and harvest,
Sun, moon and stars in their courses above,
Join with all nature in manifold witness
To Thy great faithfulness, mercy and love.

Pardon for sin and a peace that endureth,
Thy own dear presence to cheer and to guide;
Strength for today and bright hope for tomorrow,
Blessings all mine, with ten thousand beside!

Passion is coming!

“The really wonderful moments of joy in this world are not the moments of self-satisfaction, but self-forgetfulness. Standing on the edge of the Grand Canyon and contemplating your own greatness is pathological. At such moments we are made for a magnificent joy that comes from outside ourselves.” ― John Piper, Don't Waste Your Life

I remember feeling completely overwhelmed. Completely in awe of God. I thought to myself, "This must be what heaven feels like." I was standing in a giant stadium surrounded by thousands upon thousands of college students all singing "Our God is greater!" united together in one voice. I was at Passion Conference in Atlanta, GA and I felt small. I felt insignificant. And, God was stupendously magnificent!

My first time at Passion was in 2010. A group of my girlfriends heard about the conference, bought tickets almost a year in advance, and then, all together, we traveled all the way across the country to attend this life-changing event. We didn't know what to expect. We were just ready for an adventure.

Our Passion 2010 crew! 

My Passion 2010 family group - Alan (now serving as a missionary in NY), Ashley and Julie (both now married)

22,000 college student gathered together to make Jesus famous!

Passion is one of those events that blows your mind - not with it's enormity (even though 22,000 attendees is enormous! 60,000 in 2013!), not with it's organization (even though they managed to feed 22,000 hungry students in less than 30 minutes), not with it's music (even though you get to worship with people like Chris Tomlin, Christy Nockels, Matt Redman, David Crowder, etc), not with it's generosity (towels, towels, and more towels!) or even with it's creativity. Passion blows your mind because it's all about JESUS.

Jesus-centered messages.
Jesus-centered worship.
Jesus-centered prayer.
Jesus-centered community group conversations.
Jesus-centered giving.
Jesus, Jesus, and more Jesus.

And, what's even more amazing? Passion is coming to Houston in February 2014! Registration for the 2-day conference opens today! Since I'll be living in Dallas by then, Passion will only be a 3-hour drive for me! I couldn't be more excited!

If you've never experienced Passion and you're a college student (or 25 and under), this is your chance! Trust me. You will not regret it. It's worth every mile driven, every penny spent.

Register for Houston (Feb. 14-15) here: http://268generation.com/passion2014/hou/register/
Register for Atlanta (Jan 17-18) here: http://268generation.com/passion2014/atl/register/
For more details and info, visit: http://www.268generation.com/3.0/

See you at Passion 2014!

Let the decorating begin!

As of today, my move to Dallas is less than 2 months away! Oh how the time flies!I started a list of things I need to do before I leave and things are slowly getting checked off. (I love lists and checking things off is my favorite!) So, you can imagine how happy all of this makes me! The most recent "to-do" that got checked off is "Find a roommate and a place to live." Well, actually, I didn't "find" anything. It found me! A little over a week ago, a current DTS student contacted me about sharing an apartment on campus. Her previous roommate graduated so she was looking for someone to fill her place. Of course I said yes! Especially after I found out that we are 94% compatible on the DTS roommate-matching website (which I equate to match.com)! And, she's also a Christian Education major. And, she did full-time student ministry for 6 years. And, she's funny, outgoing, and super proactive about getting things done. Basically, (at least from what it seems) she's like the perfect apartment-mate for me. I say apartment-mate because I'll be getting my own room and bathroom and we'll just have to share a living room and kitchen. The other awesome thing is her living room and kitchen are already furnished! Score!

Which brings me to checklist item number 2: "Figure out how you're going to decorate your new room!" This one gets me super giddy! I love design, art, and decorating, but I haven't had an opportunity to decorate anything (besides my room 10 years ago). Here is where Pinterest becomes my best friend! I have an entire board of decorating ideas. I guess from all those pins, you can conclude that my style is kind of shabby chic with a modern twist. 

Here are the basics I'd like to incorporate:

1. Neutral (grey/cream) solids

2.. Bright/pastel accents

3. Lots of coordinating patterns (especially chevron)

4. Modern (maybe upholstered) bed frame

5. Vintage (more just thrift store) accent furniture

6. Old maps, globes, treasure chests, chalk boards, picture frames

It will be cool to see what I actually end up doing. Pinterest is one thing. Decorating on a grad student's budget is another. Stay tuned for the final result!

Here are some photos from my Pinterest board of inspiration:

Random Things I'm Learning:

First day of camp! (The new location is AMAZING!)

1. I should never pass up the opportunity to serve. MGC Kids Camp is this week and I feel like I'm really missing out. When I'm at camp, I feel like that's where I belong. I'm serious. If I could do anything and be anything, I would be a full-time camp counselor. Jesus, kids, and nature - it doesn't get much better!

2. I need to treasure the day-to-day moments spent with family. I found out this morning that the little 5-year-old nephew of one of my friends died last night in a tragic accident. My heart has been heavy all day as I'm praying for God to supply the family with transcending peace and comfort.

Late night tea with my silly boys! 

Grace + works. This has been on my heart lately.

3. Pretty much all DTS students are super cool. So far, I've been contacted by three girls who are looking for roommates for the Fall and all of them are so cool. I look through their Facebook profiles (I admit, I'm kind of a stalker) and I think, "Wow! I can totally be your friend! You're so cool!" Jesus pretty much radiates from all their photos, statuses, activities, etc.

4. God can do miracles in people we "write off." I saw this happen this weekend as one of my old friends from high school recommitted her life to the Lord. Praise God that His love never fails and never gives up, even if we do.

5. I need to live in the "now" and not live in expectancy of the next big thing. God operates even in our boring, ordinary lives. I must be faithful and trust Him. I need to "bloom where I'm planted!" (I love that part of my "homework" for my online DTS class is to read and respond to a devotional every day! If you're not doing this yet, check out My Utmost for His Highest. It's available as a free PDF.)

What is God teaching you? Do share!