Pourin' Out My Love

A couple of weeks ago, a little girl at the preschool where I work started hugging her teacher. Her teacher said, "Stella, what are you doing?" Her response was, "I'm just pourin' out my love on you." I think my mouth kind of dropped over. Probably without even realizing it, this little girl gave me a clear picture of (part of) who God is. God doesn't need a reason to pour His love out on us- He just does it, no questions asked. And wow, did I need love poured out on me this past week.

Monday night, David and I received some disheartening news that brought us to our knees in surrender. Only God could get us out of this. The turnaround in 24 hours was amazing- God's grace through and through. It was exhausting going from extreme worry to extreme praise and excitement. I don't have words for what God has done for us- just that He is GOOD! His faithfulness to provide for us is mind-boggling. I felt God's love being poured out on me for sure!

Not to mention, as the new music and spanish teacher at the preschool, I am constantly being loved by those kids. I've gotten planty of hugs, I love you's, and one little special needs boy said to me the other day, "Miss. Sarah? You're a sweet girl!" God is using these little kids in ways that they don't even know!

In His Mercy.

Sunshine Day

Well, it feels like Spring here in Geogia, at least for the time being. The weatherman says it will get cold again. Maybe straight hair season is not over quite yet=)

David and I spent the afternoon running errands. We ran over to Target, Best Buy, the dry cleaner's, and then grabbed some lunch. I sat at the table with David and was suddenly overcome by emotions regarding our upcoming move. I guess I never really stopped to think about what it would be like to be a pastor's wife. The truth is, I got spoiled this time around. Because David is THE staff and there wasn't really an office for him at the church, it meant he could work from home. It meant he could eat lunch with me when I got home from work. It meant he could help cook dinner and go grocery shopping with me in the afternoon.

I'm excited about our move, but I have my fears. I keep thinking that it is going to be a tough transition. He'll be on staff and won't be around as much. am I being selfish? I am so grateful for our time together here and I am excited for what the future holds, but it is so hard to just trust that even though our schedules will look different, we are still on the top of each other's priority lists.

"Trust in the Lord with all your heart and in all your ways acknowledge him."

In His Mercy.

The Apple- 3 in 1?

I went to a preschool conference on Friday. One of the workshops I went to was about how to incorporate faith-based lessons in the classroom. One of the ideas she gave us was to take an apple and explain to the kids that our Trinitarian GOd is like an apple. Well, like any good Asburian, a red flag went up. In a worship class I took as Asbury, we discussed how analogies like this are borderline heretical. To say that God is like an apple is modalism. God does not function in 3 different modes, but the three persons work together as a unit. The leader of this workshop made it sound as if we gave the kids this analogy, then we will have taken care of the "trinity problem." Why do we feel the need to squelch a child's sense of wonder? If as adults we don't fully understand the trinity, then why are reducing God to an apple to appease a child?

This is a problem with a lot of today's children's curricula: it's simplistic and takes away the chance for the child to ask questions. One of my biggest pet peeves is when VBS teachers or children's ministry leaders take a curriculum and read it verbatim. They get flustered when a child asks a question that the pages in front of them don't answer. When did we stop speaking from the heart? When did we start disallowing a child's freedom to be curious? What we need is open-ended curriculum that allows for the innocence of a child to remain past their Sunday school years....

In His Mercy.

You Sweep Away

I haven't written for a while. I would like to be able to say that I had an over-abundance of things to say, but that's just not the case. Here's what IS the case: I am just in a dry spot. Every now and then, God reveals little pearls of truth to me. I relish in them. The other day, David and I were doing our devotion together. It was talking about having a truly sacrificial love for one another. And then it said that Jesus died for us, even though no one understood why He had to die. It was at this point that "sacrificial" had a new meaning for me. I mean thinking about it: Jesus dies for us, out of love for us, and we had no clue why, but He did it anyway. That is a challenging truth. Love is something of such depth and purity and preciousness. No one but the God of the universe could love me so deeply that he died for me when I was absolutely clueless about why. As much as my hubby or my parents love me, God loves me all the more.

Praise God!

In His Mercy.

While I'm Waiting

This has been a time of waiting for David and I. As is public knowledge, we are (fingers crossed) being moved to a new church this summer. While we are excited about this new chapter unfolding, it's a bit unnerving (at least for me) to have to wait for that phone call from the D.S. David did have an interview on Tuesday, but sensed that it wasn't what God has for us.

I just want to know where we'll be. This whole "waiting thing" is weighing on my heart. As most of my close friends, family,and of course Hubby know, I am itching to have a baby. David and I are both excited about me getting "preggers," but as of right now, we know we have to wait. I have to admit, I am struggling with the waiting. It's not that I feel like we have to rush, I am just anxious to have a baby. It's a desire that is deeply embedded into my heart- I can't even articulate it. So I sit here, waiting, happy for my friends who ARE pregnant, but struggling in the wait.

I guess it comes down to this: how can being a mom and having a career pan out? I want both, but the desire for a family is so much stronger, but practically speaking a job would be helpful. Not only helpful, but something I want- I am 13 hours away from earning my 96-hour master's degree and I didn't go through this for nothing! Do you see my struggle????

In His Mercy.....

New Year

Well, it's a new year! I have been on quite the journey this past year. A year ago, I sat on my in-laws stair steps next to David in tears. We would be apart for the next 5 months and it was breaking my heart. I made it through my third year of seminary and moved down to Georgia. I got a job, took three online classes, and planned my wedding. And then of course---I got married! While the year had its challenges, it was full of blessings. David and I shared our first Christmas together as a husband and wife and it was so much fun! I made us breakfast and we had fun opening our presents in our pj's before heading to his parents house. My mom was surprised Christmas day with a ticket to come see me for my birthday, so she was there when I turned 26! 

So now I am coming down off of what seemed like a one-year wedding high and am facing the inevitable return to work in three days. So what are my new years resolutions? Well, of course there's the typical "lose 10 pounds" that every person seems to resolve themselves to after a long, sugary December, but what I really desire is a deeper relationship with the Lord. I feel like somewhere amidst wedding plans and settling into married life that I have lost touch with who I am and more importantly whose I am. I don't know what this new year holds, but I know the one Who holds my life in HIs hands and THAT is what I want a deeper understanding of!

In His Mercy.

Silent Night

Sunday was a peaceful day at church. David's sermon made me cry. Here's the thing, I love David's sermons, but they've never made me cry before! The premise of the sermon was that Joseph was a real man for standing by Mary even though scandal was a possibility due to her "untimely" pregnancy. He ended the sermon by reminding us that just as Joseph was Jesus' adoptive father, God the Father adopts all of us into His family. This is when I started to cry.

I will not be with my family this year for Christmas, but God the Father will be with me. He will celebrate in the Christmas joy with me. Praise the Lord! I will have a Father with me tomorrow=)

We ended the service by singing "Silent Night, Holy Night." I could barely sing past the tears forming in my eyes. I can't even begin to imagine the tenderness of that night when Jesus was born....

Rejoice, rejoice! Your King has come to you, o Israel!

In His Mercy.