Wednesday, June 30, 2010

plotting and planning

My how the time is fleeting until CI and Paris...I'm so worried I'm going to forget something vitally important for one or the other until it's too late! The other night I dreamed I made it to Paris and opened my suitcase and I'd forgotten to pack clothes. I'm sure that won't happen but it made for a stressful dream.

One of the super cool things about this whole adventure (yes adventure and I haven't even left yet!) is that a friend of a friend also got on the Mission Nannys' site and got connected with a family in Rome. She left a week ago! I've been reading her blog and enjoying it so much. It's so obviously God's plan for her to be there and it awes me to have been used as an instrument to point her in that direction. How amazing is our God?? We haven't even met officially but we've been chatting some and I am picking up a kindred spirit vibe. :) Those are few and far between so it's pretty cool. We are determined to meet when I get back from Paris. She comes home the end of August and I won't be home for another month so we will pass each other.

I also love how God cares about the small things. One day I was chatting with my friend Jen who lives in London about what I would need to plug my American electronics into the European outlets. She showed me exactly what to buy and I bookmarked it to remember to purchase later. Less than twelve hours had passed before I received an email from my Mamma saying she'd found two of the exact converters I needed and would love for me to use them if I wanted or needed them. I had not even told anyone yet about it!

On the CI front we've had quite the time of it with our curriculum this year. I think it's because of the brand new-ness that we've had so many lines crossed but we originally received the old version of the curriculum we wanted whereas I'd been working the last month off the new version (different crafts and memory verses). Thanks to my wonderful friend Sarah who made a LOT of phone calls for me we got to the bottom of the mix up and will be receiving the correct curriculum soon. It was beginning to bother me since we are getting down to the wire!

I'm beginning to think I might start actually packing some clothes soon. Some of the things I'm going to be taking are more fall-ish (for Houston weather anyway) and I most certainly will not be wearing them here before then. I also thought of packing things like hairspray and the like. There will still be plenty left for me to do the night before I'm sure! But I have this basket in my room of miscellaneous clothing items that should have been packed away in the out of season box but never did so I'd like to go ahead and get all of that type of thing taken care of and leave a nice clean room to come home to. I also should put away some of these piles, especially the one on my bed...hmm...

Wednesday, June 23, 2010

2 Corinthians 9

1For as touching the ministering to the saints, it is superfluous for me to write to you:

2For I know the forwardness of your mind, for which I boast of you to them of Macedonia, that Achaia was ready a year ago; and your zeal hath provoked very many.

3Yet have I sent the brethren, lest our boasting of you should be in vain in this behalf; that, as I said, ye may be ready:

4Lest haply if they of Macedonia come with me, and find you unprepared, we (that we say not, ye) should be ashamed in this same confident boasting.

5Therefore I thought it necessary to exhort the brethren, that they would go before unto you, and make up beforehand your bounty, whereof ye had notice before, that the same might be ready, as a matter of bounty, and not as of covetousness.

6But this I say, He which soweth sparingly shall reap also sparingly; and he which soweth bountifully shall reap also bountifully.

7Every man according as he purposeth in his heart, so let him give; not grudgingly, or of necessity: for God loveth a cheerful giver.

8And God is able to make all grace abound toward you; that ye, always having all sufficiency in all things, may abound to every good work:

9(As it is written, He hath dispersed abroad; he hath given to the poor: his righteousness remaineth for ever.

10Now he that ministereth seed to the sower both minister bread for your food, and multiply your seed sown, and increase the fruits of your righteousness;)

11Being enriched in every thing to all bountifulness, which causeth through us thanksgiving to God.

12For the administration of this service not only supplieth the want of the saints, but is abundant also by many thanksgivings unto God;

13Whiles by the experiment of this ministration they glorify God for your professed subjection unto the gospel of Christ, and for your liberal distribution unto them, and unto all men;

14And by their prayer for you, which long after you for the exceeding grace of God in you.

15Thanks be unto God for his unspeakable gift.

Sunday, June 13, 2010

I do not blog often enough these days, or at least not nearly as often as ideas come to mind to write about but it just doesn't seem like there's ever enough time to actually sit down and type it up. As is usual it is very late and I will need to be up very early in the morning for VBS this week but two things happened this weekend that were just so incredibly special I couldn't let them go without praising God publicly.

The first thing was Saturday when I received an email informing me that a large amount of money had come in for my trip to Paris. At some point I do remember telling someone that I was pretty sure most of it would come in "late" (as in much closer to my time of departure, not actually late as God is NEVER late). The timing was absolutely perfect as I was beginning to be a tad discouraged at what I in my humanity deemed as a lack of attention on God's part. I love to quote Hudson Taylor to myself in these situations "God's will done in God's way will never lack God's supply" but when it all comes down to it that is easier said than believed. It's so precious to me when God chooses to acknowledge my whimpering "but God, I thought You said--" by gently reminding me that He does have a plan and He is working even when I don't always see it.

Then today was Pastor's anniversary and in honor of that we had Dr. Brandon bringing the messages. As if that wasn't special enough after his amazing testimony of how God has spared his life a little longer on this earth, at the end of the day when they were about to leave I felt a tap on my shoulder. "Are you Megan?" Mrs. Brandon has always been such an example to me, and I have always said I want to be like her when I grow up. She is so very beautiful and never seems to age physically as well as having the most wonderfully sweet spirit. I was a bit taken aback that she would remember my name and said "yes". She exclaimed "I just needed to hug your neck!" She remembered me from IMPACT in 2007! It was so very special and sweet to me and such an encouragement although it may not seem like much to anyone else. But she remembered me--and wanted to hug me. She'll probably never know how much that little gesture meant but it really was huge to me, especially following two weeks of some fairly intense personal spiritual warfare. You never know how YOU can have an impact on someone else! If you are prompted to speak to someone or hug them, please do it because all of the mes out there need you to give that little bit of help to keep on keeping on. :) Sometimes God just wants to use you as His way of physically hugging someone.

Time continues to fly as CI and Paris approach. I am more and more excited about both and at the same time nervous. I know the time will pass quickly there but once or twice I've caught myself thinking "why did I agree to go for so long? what am I thinking?". But I know that it's God's will and I am very excited to see what He has in store. Thank you to all of you who are praying for me and my trip. Please don't stop!! :)