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The title is not suggesting that I have a new found fascination with World of Warcraft (sorry mom, Josh and Matt). This word (if you can call it that) is all I can think to say right now.

I just got off the phone with Helen..

Wait, let me back up further so that I can include some pictures.

Wednesday was the big day. I've been accepted to work in Argentina! Exclamation points times a million really. And on Wednesday I got to go to Hope House with a few teenagers where we cleaned up the kids room. I was encouraged by the zeal of the students.

Thursday was also cool because I had a fantastic lunch with Melissa. I made Orange chicken:We chatted about some of the decisions she's made post-Powderburn, and I'm delighted that I get to be praying for her as she continues in those decisions!

That night was beautiful, as Flatirons Church hosted a prom for folks with disabilities. Again, our students helped out by doing hair and makeup for these gorgeous gals:Here's Christine working on Emily's hair. Emily liked to make fun of me as I was dancing in the coffee shop. She called me crazy, but I couldn't help but smile and think, "I'll become even more undignified than this!" Below we have Reyna doing her fine work:
Seriously, look at how amazing Reyna had done Elsa's hair!
Below is Kira. As soon as Kendra walked in, Kira was eager to show off her beautiful dress (Janelle also did a great job on her hair). It was too cute to miss the photo opportunity!As if that wasn't enough, I stayed after with a couple students to read the Bible. We talked about the transfiguration which led us to talking about the amazing life and witness of Elijah. We prayed for boldness for each other as we continued our weeks, trying to seek where/how God wanted to use us in the places we are. (Some people call that, "Bloom where you're planted")

Then came Friday. A free Chick Fil A chicken biscuit + conversation with Allison. Duh! Awesome. Followed by reading and texting friends to tell them the great news of where I am going, followed by an incredible heart to heart over the Bible with Rachel. Could it get better?

Only with a small dose of soccer. We lost, but I didn't get hurt AND I didn't catch the ball :) I was so energized from the day, but knew that Saturday was coming..

Talked with the Lauren and Kathryn and it was simply refreshing to hear about what's going on in their lives. Oh wait, there's more.

A three hour lunch with Chelsea, who just got back from a YWAM in Australia/Fiji/New Zealand. What a joy to get to hear her stories and how God really moved in her during the summer time on the other side of the world!

Went to the library to pick up my Argentina book/movie holds. That's right, I rented Evita. DON'T CRY FOR ME ARGENTINA!!!! Mark, Kendra and I pretty much laughed most of the time. I mean, I appreciated it because the story of Juan and Eva Peron is important to the Argentinian people. The story just isn't told very well in this film, in my opinion. I am fascinated by her life, as I've read about her more in the other books I've borrowed.

Any way, then came Sunday. Another great day with the GROW class. The point that stuck with me was this: sometimes when you make a decision (as in, important life type decision) it's not so much a matter of choosing rightly or wrongly, as it is realizing what God wants to teach you within that choice. As Emeril would say, "Bam!"

Next, a bunch of my church family congratulated me. Oh! Before I got to church I asked God to have someone come to me and ask if they could support me. Totally happened!!! How crazy is that?!?

Then I went to the mall so I could buy this:
Keehee. I bought the Spaniard version, aka Castillian, because Argentina is known to be heavily influenced by Italian. I have a 6 month money back/trade-in guarantee if I happen to change my mind. Looking forward to studying!

Came home to talk with one of my best guy friends from college. I was encouraged to hear what's going on for him, as well as to know how to pray for him. I think that's the best part of learning to and actually support raising--it gives you an excuse to reconnect with some people and to hear how God is moving in their lives!

Which brings me to Helen. My relationship with Helen was short lived at school, but every time we did hang out, it was a gift. And today, conversing with my dear sister was again a blessing. That girl asked to pray for me! Might I say too, I've decided I really want a man (Lord willing) who prays like her!

Phew. It feels like life is going a million miles an hour. Necesito descansar...

Thank you, Jesus!

Inspiration

Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our troubles so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves have received from God. For just as the sufferings of Christ flow over into our lives, so also through Christ our comfort overflows. If we are comforted, it is for your comfort, which produces in you patient endurance of the same sufferings we suffer. And our hope for you is firm, because we know that just as you share in our sufferings, so also you share in our comfort.
2 Corinthians 1:3-7

Un dia a la vez

The song pops up to my mind again. I had no idea that it was played at my great-grandmother's funeral until my dad had commented on that.

Point being, I got a thank you card in the mail today. You may remember the post about death? The note is from Marci and she had wonderful news. She wrote, "My daughter went from a young woman that the ER doctors did not give much of a chance of survival to almost 100% recovery in the last 2 and a half weeks. We are so grateful to God and to His praying church for giving her back to us."

She also wrote that her son and son in law came home safely from Haiti. They have stories of heartache, but also great stories of victory.

And God is good!!!!!!!!!

I like big buts

Now that I have your attention.. hehe. Well actually, there was a funny banter about Luke Danes' butt in Gilmore Girls. I was watching a couple episodes today to see if they had any scratches on the discs, and that scene came up. Really, Lorelai and Sookie were just trying to make Luke feel uncomfortable.

Neither here nor there..

I was blessed to sit and listen to Judi Peterson this past weekend. She joined the 12th grade girls' small group one evening during Powderburn. Amidst the 2ish hour conversation, something so simple from what she had spoken seemed to stir in my head more than everything else.

You know when something bad happens, and we say, "But God is good"? Like when you hear someone say, "I have been diagnosed with cancer, but God is good." Or maybe it comes switched around. "I know that God is good, but I have been diagnosed with cancer."

Judi talked about how when we use that "but", we're really suggesting that something about God is not good or loving.

What we're really saying is, "I know God is good, but He's really not by the fact that I now have cancer." "Where did He go when my dad died?" Or, "How can He say He loves me when my heart is broken?!"

We're using the wrong conjunction. We're modifying the truth of God's goodness by our complaints, thus subtracting from His lovingkindness. She talked about the story of Job, where he and his friends were essentially trying to find the cause for Job's suffering. When God responds in the end, there is evidence that maybe God isn't so cause-and-effect as we are prone to think. Remembering something I had recently learned, Western thinking is highly influenced by Greek philosophy--logic defines a lot of what we do and how we do it.

But God (ironic) responds differently to Job by asking him loaded questions. Read here.

The right conjunction is "and." We may not understand what happens; we may not understand most circumstances in life. And God is good. We may even cope with this terminology more easily than say a woman dying of AIDS on the other side of the world. I could not imagine being able to say "and God is good" in that moment. Nonetheless, it is true.

It is not right that she has to suffer. And it is important to note that the suffering comes from a broken and sinful world, not from our Lord. This is where a good "but" could be used:

As for you, you were dead in your transgressions and sins, in which you used to live when you followed the ways of this world and of the ruler of the kingdom of the air, the spirit who is now at work in those who are disobedient. All of us also lived among them at one time, gratifying the cravings of our sinful nature and following its desires and thoughts. Like the rest, we were by nature objects of wrath. BUT because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions—it is by grace you have been saved. (Ephesians 2:1-5)

Let's throw in one more since it's so good.

You see, at just the right time, when we were still powerless, Christ died for the ungodly. Very rarely will anyone die for a righteous man, though for a good man someone might possibly dare to die. BUT God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us. (Romans 5:6-8)

These buts are different because they are speaking of our former nature God salvaged us from. The present sufferings believers go through doesn't always have to do with who we were as much as who we are going to be. May we now say, "Here is what we're going through, and I know God is good."

The drive home

I realize I should have included my bobblehead Jesus in this photo. Oh well. Here's a view of the beginning of a very long journey of lots and lots of snow. This Texan had no idea she'd ever drive through this kind of weather! There was even a good 15-20min stretch of whiteout, where visibility was limited to just a few cars in front of me!

At a moment of traffic standstill, I took a photo of myself--conqueror of snow driving, work crew member of Powderburn 2010!! And well, I also was bored since all of my fellow riders were asleep (as can be seen with Allison in the background).

Praise the Lord that we got home safe. All credit definitely goes to Him!

εκβαλλω

If you tarry till your ready,
You will never come at all.

Last night was Ash Wednesday and I've decided that similar to the Maundy Thursday service, I want to make sure I celebrate both days for the rest of my life. Certainly, I want to be careful to not make them merely traditional events, but to enjoy them as simple reminders of my need to surrender my life over to Jesus. To me, it's similar to Valentine's day. I love that holiday! People look at me funny when I say that, but I simply say that "Yes, I want to be able to love someone every day of the year, but it's nice to have a reminder to show that love. And it's nice to have another excuse to spoil the person you love too!"

Perhaps that's why God had set aside so many days of celebration for the Hebrew people in the Old Testament. Oh wait, that's exactly why He did so. So they would remember!!

But onward to the main point. The lyrics above come from a song we sang at the Ash Wednesday service, and I couldn't help but think about the fact that I'm leaving in August. At last week's conference, we talked about the fairly famous verse:

"Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into his harvest field."
(Matthew 9:38)

The teacher that morning pointed out that the verb for "send out" in the greek is εκβαλλω, which happens to have a very forceful meaning. I remember this verb βαλλω being used a lot in my days of translating the battle scenes in Homer's Illiad. It means to throw, or cast out (the εκ is where we get the "out." It's also in the noun for the church that literally translates "called out"). In fact, we see the same verb used just a few verses earlier in participle form when Jesus casts out a demon.

So why this strong phrase being translated as "send out"? Doesn't it seem a little odd? Send out seems so pleasant, as if to say, "Aww shucks, Jesus is calling you to go to a new place and share the gospel! Here's a flannel board to help you out."

It sounds easy.

Until we read the next chapter that is a speech from Jesus to his 12 disciples and is full of caution and wisdom. The journey they were about to embark on would assuredly be difficult!

The teacher at the conference had pointed out these verses:

"When an evil spirit comes out of a man, it goes through arid places seeking rest and does not find it." (Matthew 12:43-45)

εκβαλλω here is translated as comes out. The teacher explained that the evil spirit was looking for rest, a condition only capable in its original inhabitance. Much like those who leave the comforts of their homes to go to a place perhaps much less desirable for the sake of the gospel. A place more arid, if you will.

To which I ask myself, "Am I ready for that sort of casting out?" In an earlier post, I mentioned the many things I'm looking forward to if and when I go, but you can bet there's a longer list of things that I'm afraid of. The lyrics come back to me.

If you tarry till your ready,
You will never come at all.

Never in my lifetime will I have all my ducks in a row. There is always the next thing, whatever "thing" may be (sin issue, doubts to overcome, character change, location, etc. etc.). As keeps coming up over and over again, "It's about the journey and not the destination." Seriously, I think I've used that line about a dozen times in the past few weeks.

I was encouraged by a co-worker the other day who told me, "Wait a minute, you're single and you're taking advantage of it?"

I thought about how it would have been nice to make sure all of my debt is paid off, or to maybe even have a family started before I went so I wouldn't have to go alone. Then I remembered that I'd never be going alone.

"Yes!" I said then. And I say now.

Random pizza night

The way it works is you send the students out into the neighborhood. They need to ask for pizza toppings (and some sort of sauce) that are anti-traditional to pizza. When they return, pile on the goodies, bake, and dig in!
Ketchup is the sauce, hershey's candy bar, m&m's, mushrooms (I let that slide when it's mixed with the rest), air heads (the green goo), dry noodles and it's accompanying dry alfredo sauce. Yummy!!

But it was hardly the worst! These two show you how awesome junior highers are, or at least how crazy they can be. At any rate, I was proud of 'em!

In fact, this very video is why I will miss this group a lot.