completely new and unexpected

"At certain times and places; God will build a mysterious wall around us. He will take away all supports we customarily lean upon, and will remove our ordinary ways of doing things. God will close us off the something divine, completely new and unexpected, and that cannot be understood by examining our previous circumstances. We will be in a place where we do not know what is happening, where God is cutting the cloth of our lives by a new pattern, and thus where He causes us to look to Him" (author unknown).

This quote really resonates with me. It seems to put words to emotions I've experienced in the past. I love how God sees the big picture and He wants us to learn and grow. But learning and growing usually isn't a cake walk. Like those pop quizzes in school, God throws things into our lives that we often don't understand or enjoy. Often we don't know the answers. Sometimes God remains mysterious because He wants us to search, to look to Him and trust Him with every part of our life. It's hard to look past these things to see what God is trying to teach us. But He sees our potential and He's committed to growing our faith and trust in Him.

".... we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love Him..." (Romans 8:28). Note that is says "good" and not "easy" or "comfortable". He often doesn't give us what we want because it's not good for us. I don't know about you, but I don't like trials and I usually don't see the purpose in them until much later on (if at all). But God knows what we need. And He has a purpose and a plan for our lives. I pray that I can have Paul's and James' perspectives on all the trials I will face in my lifetime:

"... we rejoice in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope. And hope does not disappoint us, because God has poured His love into our hearts by the Holy Spirit, whom He has given us" (Romans 5:3-5).

"Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance. Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything" (James 1:2-4).

into sunlight and liberty

"He not only breaks the chains that bind me, but also leads me out of prison into sunlight and liberty. He delivers me from the twists and turns of my own deviousness, from the surliness and selfishness, from prejudice and hate, from dismal doubt and unbelief, from oppression by Satan and my own ego, and from my inner lustings and cravings. By the time God is finished with me at the end of my life, I will recognize that He has done an amazing work in me..." (W. Glyn Evans)

fall getaway recap

So, I wasn't able to attend the Fall Getaway for students in Providence, but I've received reports from my team that it was a huge success. Thanks for the prayers! There were over 60 students at the retreat, from 5 different colleges. The theme of the retreat was "in sync", as in being in sync with God and His plans. The students were challenged to decide what steps of faith they each need to take in the areas God is calling them. They came away from the weekend motivated to apply what they learned at their campuses. The weekend sounded like it was a great time of fun and growth, both spiritually and socially.

true beauty

I like this video, it's a little peak into the secrets of the beauty industry. I think all women should see it:

upcoming events!

Here are some big events coming up in the ministry:

Fall Getaway (October 2-4): This is a weekend-long retreat for the students in Providence. It's a great place for students to grow in their faith, build community with other believers, and get away from the stress and pressure of school

Cross '09 (November 9-11): This is a nation-wide event that focuses on cross-cultural ministry, especially in the inner city. Students in Campus Crusade all over the country will do ministry in their local areas; many of the students from the Northeast region are going to New York City

Boston Winter Conference (January 2-6): This is an extended conference for the students in the Northeast Region. The conference consists of worship, special speakers, seminars, training, and a day of outreach.

Be praying for these events! Pray for the leaders and planning of the events, pray that people will be reached with the Gospel, and that the students experience God in new and exciting ways!

rhode island fast facts

So, it made sense to me that I should do a little research on the little state of Rhode Island considering that I'm moving to Providence in the near future and I've only been there once. So, if you're a history or geography geek like me, check out what I've learned about the Ocean State (400 miles of coastline!):

-->everyone knows that RI is small (only 37 miles wide and 48 miles long), but do you know why? It's because the founder, Roger Williams, inisted on paying the Native Americans fair price for the land. He acknowledged that the Natives were the actual owners of the land, and it was this liberal thinking, along with his push for religious freedom, that got him kicked out of the Plymouth colony

-->it was the first colony to declare independence from Great Britain and the last to join the new union

-->during the 1700s the state was known as "rogue island" because it took in all the unwanteds from the other colonies... Reminds me of how Jesus interacted with 'rogues' (see Matthew 9 and Luke 15)

-->the state motto is "hope"

Ok... now I've revealed my geeky side to the blog world, but I hope you learned a little about my soon-to-be home.

how deep

"I pray that from His glorious, unlimited resources He will empower you with inner strength through His Spirit. Then Christ will make His home in your hearts as you trust in Him. Your roots will grow down into God's love and keep you strong. And may you have the power to understand, as all God's people should, how wide, how long, how high, and how deep His love is. May you experience the love of Christ, though it is too great to understand fully" (Ephesians 3:16-19 NLT).

I love this passage! I tend to put God in a box. But it's impossible to put God in a box! He's bigger than anything we can imagine with our finite minds! Paul says he prays we can have the power to grasp God's love for us. We are too weak to understand how much God loves us. We just don't get it. It's too great for us. He imagined the sun.... He thought up meerkats... He is the power behind lightening... He is bigger than the extents of space. He is so much more than we can fathom and anything we know on this earth.