Farewell, Belfast.

This time last year my bags were packed and I was ready to embark on an adventure 6,000 miles away from my normal. In search for 'my big something'... ready to finish my Master's Degree...ready to start living.

Here I am 12 months later . . .reminiscing . . .indulging in the enjoyable recollection of this past year. One thing I know for sure,

“I am not the same having seen the 

moon shine on the other side 

of the world.” -Mary Anne Hershey

Simply too much to make sense of it all, but the Lord is sovereign, and I am just so thankful for that. 

I cannot possibly convey the beauty that I've seen this year. 

The beauty of…growth...simplicity…culture…nature…rest...and wonder. Oh, to discover His handiwork in the most breathtaking of places.

Precious mementos fill my heart as I ponder my return to America. Yet four words from a sweet friend I made here in Belfast continue to point me towards His sovereignty:

Choose to be thankful.

Rather than mourn this season’s end, I choose to be thankful ...
for the miraculous way the Lord has shown himself to me this year
for the trials, triumphs heartache love…
for community, friends, and family that will last a lifetime. 
for spiritual, mental, and professional growth.
for goals, passions, and desires that led me to incredible places, even if just for a season. 

I choose to be thankful for who Jesus is. How magnificent his grace. . . how sweet his mercy. 
I choose to be thankful because this year, Jesus showed me not only how to live life. . .but how to live life abundantly. 

"Travel is more than the seeing of sights; it is a change that goes on, deep and permanent, in the ideas of living." - Miriam Beard

A million words would never be enough to describe this year. So for now I’ll just say. . .

Sláinte, Belfast. You've filled me with joy. You've been just lovely.

<3

Sunrise, Sunset

Today I spent my morning with Jesus.
I woke up feeling tired and overwhelmed. I was scheduled to have lunch with a friend, so I said a short prayer and forced myself out of bed to get ready for the day. Of course checking Facebook is part of the morning routine, so I did and that led me to a link to Chris Tomlin's "God's Great Dance Floor." And well, Jesus and I had a dance party. At 9:00 this morning. It. Was. Awesome.

Today I spent my morning with Jesus.
I worshipped. I prayed. I confessed. He forgave me. I cried tears of fear and confusion. He comforted me. I told Him, "Lord, I don't know what's next for me." He says, "I know you don't, but I do." I told him I was having a hard time trusting Him and believing that He was near. He says, "I will never leave you or forsake you. I am yours, and you are mine." [Deuteronomy 31:6; Songs 6:3]

My lunch plans were cancelled, so...

Today I had lunch with Jesus.
I asked the Holy Spirit to be near as I dove into "Crazy Love" by Francis Chan. He was. We laughed together as I "googly-eyed" a delicious egg white omelet. It was sweet, and funny. (Though the people sitting around me probably thought I was crazy!) Again I asked the Lord what was next for me. He says, "Be still."  I thanked Him for the sunshine, for bringing me out of tears and putting a smile on my face, for forgiving me and showing me how to walk by faith. I thanked Him for His consistency and for loving me so. well. I thanked him for His provision, for His faithfulness, mercy, and grace. He says, "I long to be gracious to you, I rise to show you compassion." [Isaiah 30:18]


Today I fell in love with Jesus all over again.

Technological Backlash: Neglecting the Holy Spirit

There is this beautiful, interwoven, nature of the Trinity that has been so easily skewed by our “I want it now” generation.

Our brother Paul touches on this in Ephesians 5:18“And do not get drunk with wine, for that is debauchery, but be filled with the Spirit”

Now how does being filled with the Spirit steer us away from this technological era that we find ourselves in? A common misunderstanding of new, and maybe even mature, believers is that being filled with the spirit means being slain, speaking in tongues, raising people from the dead etc…When in fact, Paul says that these spirit-filled encounters are gifts (1 Corinthians 12) Not to be taken lightly, but to be genuinely pursued.

The command to “be filled” derives from the Greek Plērousthe… a significant present-imperative use of the word to describe a pattern of life, rather than just a one-time encounter. I mean what is the main job of the Holy Spirit? To make us more like the Father, to sanctify, to convict, and to intercede on our behalf…to be on the front line, alongside the Father and the Son. But we don’t think about that stuff… the boring stuff… we can’t be bothered…it just takes too much time (and effort). Instead we search for the easy self-help books or the “5-steps to being healed” articles & blogs…things that can be read quickly or applied with a click of a mouse.

                            

I’m guilty of it too. When I’m sitting for months in a difficult and trying season, there are definitely times where I’d much rather turn to a self-help book than sit and wait on the Trinity to speak volumes. FORTUNATELY, the Holy Spirit intercedes when we cannot. He brings love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, and self-control. He pulls us out of our technological advances and humbles us before the Father. He sanctifies, and He convicts… He shows us a pattern of life that brings consistent joy, self-control, and balance.

My big brother always says, “Holy Spirit just MOVE!” and now I understand why. Seriously, how sweet & beautiful is His role in our relationship with the Father?! Welcome the Holy Spirit in. Long to be led by Him. Pray for His encounters…Wait for His encounters. Persevere through his timing. Relish in His goodness. May we recognize that the Holy Spirit enables and empowers us in our weakness (Romans 8:26). 

Where is your level of dependence on the Holy Spirit? Do you view Him as offering a self-controlled, balanced, and refined life? Do you see the Holy Spirit as a stimulant, uplifting and admonishing you? Is your life consistently joyful & spirit filled, or do you easily fall into an impatient, temporarily-satisfying lifestyle?

Moses said it best:

 “If your presence will not go with me, do not bring us up from here” (Exodus 33:15)

Mirror, Mirror on The Wall

It's been a minute or two since I've posted on this thing. Where have I been?
Well, I've been in a tough, dry season. But the Lord has a sweet way of giving us those 'BAM!' breakthrough moments by which we find ourselves in a brand new season. And for that, I am so grateful. It's good to be back, guys. And I think you'll enjoy what the Lord shared with me during my quiet time. So here-goes...
--

For the past couple of weeks (since I've been back in the UK) I've made every effort to meet with the Lord in the morning and before I go to bed, lest I fall back into a "last semester drought"...but that's for another post. Anyhow, when I met with Him, he taught me so many new things. I'd be all, "Ohhhh" "Yeah, ok. Now I understand!" "Woooowww" Ya know? Great time spent with the Lord. But I'd always run into a problem. I'd start my day, go to class and think to myself, "what did I read again?" So after two weeks of this (tonight) I was about to dive into Romans 5 because I love vs. 8 that says, "but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us." Beautiful verse that I could read over and over again. But while I was praying before my quiet time...well, you know how the spirit intercedes for us when we don't know what to pray for (Romans 8:26)? It went like this, "Lord, during this time with you please help me to retain what you've taught me, lest I be that person who looks in the mirror and forgets what she sees..." Yes. I quickly turned to James 1.

"But be doers of the word, and hot hearers only, deceiving yourselves. For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man who looks intently at his natural face in a mirror. For he looks at himself and goes away and at once forgets what he was like. But the one who looks into the perfect law, the law of liberty, and perseveres, being no hearer who forgets but a doer who acts, he will be blessed in his doing."

(vs. 22-25, ESV)

When you look at yourself in the mirror and you see an imperfection, you naturally want to change it. So when you walk away from it, you think of ways you could go about doing that. Typical things like... I need to shed a few pounds, I'll start going to the gym and work this off. Or, I wish my skin was clearer, I'll start drinking more water and get rid of all of these impurities and toxins, I'll change my diet... etc.. Common sense says, "DO SOMETHING!"

Similarly, this passage gives the instruction to look at yourself through God's "mirror." Examine yourself through his word. Where are your "imperfections" or struggles against sin? What needs to be purified? What toxins need to be removed? And when we identify those things, we do NOT walk away lest we "forget what we we are like." We remember and then look at the "perfect law, the law of liberty" which is perfect, and only perfect, when coupled with the gospel and the power of the Holy Spirit to change our wounded hearts. Identify. Put to death. Remember His PERFECT LAW. Remember His TRUTH. Be DOERS of the word. Why? Because through this type of obedience, Jesus CONQUERED DEATH, even death on a cross. Oh how we should long to be doers of his word! Oh how we should strive to die daily and remember his "perfect law, the law of liberty!"

Sweet friends, I hope you were blessed by this. Because for me, this was a "BAM!" moment that will go down in the record books.

Until next time...

Light, Momentary

There comes a point in your transition into a new country when you finally realize you aren't at home anymore. Like...some light bulb goes off in your head that says, "No. Really. You are indeed 6,000 + miles away from home." 

And then you start missing stuff. Well, and people. Like the packages that cookies come in...what's up with this roll of Oreos anyway?

Or the way that the sun actually warms your body when it's shining about...that its not just a big lamp hanging in the sky to make sure you don't trip over your own feet. And how about the fact that you just want to drink a cup of water when you go to someone's home... Coffee & Tea? No, thank you. It's 8pm. I had my coffee this morning.

Then of course the people. The rents, the best friends, the community... ya know, the ones that you wished were here to experience the beautiful foreign country with you. 

So what do you do with this "revelation" of separation? Your frustrations, your wants and needs, or just simply wanting to wine about your situation... Why this & why that. Who do you run to?

Well, you run to Christ. You run relentlessly to Him. You plead, you ask, you request, you expect. His answer? "So we do not lose heart. Though our outer self is wasting away, our inner self is being renewed day by day. For this light momentary affliction is preparing for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison, as we look not to the things that are seen but to the things that are unseen. For the things that are seen are transient, but the things that are unseen are eternal. (2 Corinthians 4:16-18 ESV)"

Light and momentary. Ahhhh. There it is. There is the joy. That joy that you can always feel even in the toughest of times. The joy spoken of in James...that develops perseverance...hope... (James 1:2-4) Then you start to pick out the good parts... 

I'm surrounded by believers in Christ that love me. I've been given, though undeserving, a chance to see Christ move in unspeakable ways in another country. I'm studying with world-renowned professors. I've been invited in the homes of locals as stranger, but treated like a daughter. The love and protection that the Lord speaks of in Joshua 1:8&9?...yeah. I've experienced all of that. Not to mention seeing some of the most beautiful glimpses of the Lord's creation. 

.... until eventually you just can't stop. Until you just can't stop rejoicing in His goodness, until you are overcome with sheer happiness at his sweet, sweet hand on your life. Until you just...can' get enough of His amazing grace. 

Hmm. I guess I am the lucky one, huh?

Six Weeks In...

It's been quite a while since I've posted. I think I have just been trying get a hold on things. Ya know, learn the lay of the land.

Been a blast so far! My community is growing, and God has been sweet. There are some places that you go and feel so out of place. But me?

 

     I just fit like a glove!

6 weeks?! I can hardly believe it. In that amount of time, I've managed to acquire 2 male flatmates (Welcome to Europe!), visit the beautiful North Coast of Holywood, hike up the HIGHEST peak of Northern Ireland, join an amazing new church family, and eat some fantastic seafood! It has been trying, exhausting, yet so completely wonderful.

North Coast of Holywood

Hiking up to Slieve Donard

Sweet friends. 

Seafood Nachos. Yummm! 

Fish n' Chips.

My new pastor and his family just moved into a beautiful new home. Tonight during a prayer he said, "I even feel a little bit guilty that you've blessed me with such a nice home." And I just felt like...yes. Absolutely. The fact that I get to go through this season of my life, in my new home of Belfast...that He grants joy like this to his children- It's really quite amazing once you think about it...

On the Coast of Kilkeel.
"Yet the Lord longs to be gracious to you. Therefore, He will rise to show you compassion." Isaiah 30:18 

Now that I've got my barrings, my plan is to update more frequently.

Cheers for now! 

Joshua 1:9

 

It has taken me two days to fall in love with this beautiful country. This week is International Student Orientation, and it is still silly to think that I am the international student. Up until now, I've met someone from Iceland, Indonesia, Thailand, Hungary  Austria, Australia, Italy, Spain, France, and several people from the states...but only one person originally from Belfast! :) The accents are beautiful. I asked a local what I sounded like to them. They replied "like you are chewing on a piece of straw OR like you should be famous" - because most of their TV shows are American...I'll choose to claim the latter response ;-).

There is such an overwhelming peace in knowing that the Lord has surely called me to this country. I have never lived in a town where I felt 100% confident of my placement, but yesterday, when I made the 2 mile walk to campus from my accommodation (never going the gym again), my feeling was "Yeah, this is where the Lord wants me to be." Joshua 1:9 says, "Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go.” He has surely been with me since I arrived at the DFW airport Monday afternoon and I am just filled with joy when I think about what is to come.

Stay tuned, 'Muckers' (friends in Belfast slang)!