As I prepare for Korea...

As I prepare for Korea...
I have a lot of emotions...
fear, excitement, uncertainty, anticipation... and more.

But I desire this: rest.
Rest in God...that he will give me strength...

Prayer is major.

I desire to be where I am right now... which is in MN...working...and with family. ..
"wherever you are, be all there..."

I also desire to be in prayer and preparation as I look ahead to an oncoming season of life.

Here is Scripture I desire to pray and meditate over for this time:

Teach me, O Lord, the way of your statutes;
and I will keep it to the end.
Give me understanding, that I may keep your law
and observe it with my whole heart.
Lead me in the path of your commandments,
for I delight in it.
Incline my heart to your testimonies,
and not to selfish gain!
Turn my eyes from looking at worthless things;
and give me life in your ways.
Confirm to your servant your promise,
that you may be feared.
Turn away the reproach that I dread,
for your rules are good.
Behold, I long for your precepts;
in your righteousness, give me life!

Psalm 119:33-40

Rest & Waiting

I wrote in my journal a few weeks ago that I wish to find rest in God... It becomes so wearisome to try so hard in so many things...filled with anxiety... trying to manage my "own kingdom" ... I find myself often plagued with fear... of failure, of disapproval, of unhappiness...

So in response to my journal I included some Scripture to encourage my soul:

Psalm 62:5- Find rest, O my soul, in God alone; my hope comes from Him.

Hebrews 4:9- So then there remains a Sabbath rest for the people of God.

Matthew 11:28-30: Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.


Today I was reading a book by Paul Tripp (highly recommend it so far): "Broken Down House"
There is a chapter included called "Waiting"... where Tripp essentially defines "waiting" as trusting God...RESTING in Him...

Here are a few tidbits which I am chewing on right now- and would highly encourage anyone who reads this to ruminate as well!!! ~

"In calling us to wait, God is freeing us from the claustrophobic confines of our own little kingdoms of one and drawing us into a greater allegiance to his Kingdom of glory and grace.

Waiting is not only about what you will receive at the end of the wait. Waiting is about what you will become as you wait.

Waiting is hard for us becuase we tie our hearts to other glories. We so often live for the glory of human acceptance, of personal achievement, of power and position, of possessions and places, and of comfort and pleasure.

Waiting means surrendering your glory. Waiting means submitting to his glory. Waiting means understanding that you were given life and breath for the glory of another. Waiting gives your opportunity to forsake the delusion of your own glory and REST in the God of awesome glory."


So as I live this summer... my hope and prayer is that I am able to wait on God... trust in Him with my life.
It's especially hard to trust God with things that I don't understand... if I can make sense of something, it is much easier to trust Him. But...it's waiting on God/ trusting Him when I don't understand...when I don't see the point of something... it's that type of waiting that God might use to develop character in me...

When I am able to wait and trust in God, my anxiety is no longer necessary. In that waiting, I surrender control... and I am able to expend my energy toward living in the moments God has given me...with the people he has put in my life for that season.

I'll end this blog with a compound quote from Jim Elliot:
"Let not our longing slay the appetite of our living. Wherever you are, be all there."