I just can’t tell you how excited I am about all the Lord is doing in my life and heart these days.

First, pray for Justin.  There are actually a couple of AMAZING job opportunities that may or may not be on the horizon.  We have been through this enough to know not to get too crazy excited, but there certainly is encouragement in having people contact him about positions (and both of them are in Worship Ministry – which is just awesome!  We’ll do anything – but to have the Lord bring things on the horizon that are SO in line with his heart, that is just humbling and precious.)  So, pray!  And as soon as there is anything we can share – believe me when I say we will shout the word from the mountaintops if any of these start to come to fruition.

Second, in my life – there continues to be a “buzz” as freelance opportunities and unique ministry opportunities are coming my way.  When I used to be 100% freelance, I used to joke that my life was feast or famine.  Right now, I’d definitely qualify what is going on as feast.  I just am having some cool doors open to do several things right in the sweet spot of my passions.  It is super cool.  I am busy, but the Lord seems to be giving me extra time to get it all done and He is filling my heart to overflowing to give me strength.

And right along with that – my classes are going really really well.  Even as I learn about these basic things, they are aligning with what is going on in life.  I can just feel that the Lord is using all of these things, seemingly unrelated, to teach me some cohesive message, in the way that ONLY He can do.  For example, last night I was learning about the physical structure of the brain (I’m telling you – I am in basic classes) and I was reading that there are over 100 billion nerve cells in your brain, and as you use certain areas, the brain actually grows and physically changes to increase the parts of your mind you need most.  And while that is happening, there are millions and millions of physical and chemical reactions that happen just to maintain basic body functions (to type this, there are millions of actions that have to happen to move my fingers in response to the words I want to type).  Just such sweet amazing confirmation about how fearfully and wonderfully made we are – the Lord thought of everything!  And that God, THAT GOD, who set all that in motion for not only me but for every person throughout history, He totally has our current circumstance in His hand and under His control.  He is good – and His plan, and timing, is perfect.

Speaking of perfect timing, Justin and I are going to our first EVER marriage conference this weekend at Keystone Church where Justin serves!  I am thrilled.  To get to sit under the teaching of Brandon and Susan Thomas, in focused dedicated time, with the goal being that we grow closer to the Lord and each other – can there be anything better?  I submit that there cannot!  I am SUPER excited.  If you are married and need some encouragement in that area of your life (don’t we all?), I can’t encourage you enough.  Brandon and Susan, in fact Keystone Church as a whole, just has a unique ministry to young couples.   I am super pumped to see how we grow.

Meanwhile, at the church where I serve (FBC Grapevine), the Lord seems to be moving in a new fresh way.  We are doing a coordinated emphasis throughout the spring on something we are calling GROW, ending in a weekend retreat for the entire church in April.  The Lord just is using this focused time to truly GROW people, which is so great to see.  For those of you not in fulltime ministry, here’s how it works.  You sit in these meetings and plan these events, and then pray over them acknowledging that without the movement of the Holy Spirit, all of our planning is in vain.  We are fully dependent on God as a church staff – and sometimes the Lord just takes something we have planned and He blesses it – and GROW seems to be one of those events.   I am so excited to see what the Lord does to the entire church as the GROW weekend nears, and how His Spirit moves to touch and change lives during that weekend.  Although it is kind of strange and challenging for me to be living with one foot in one church where I work and one foot in a church where my husband serves, the Lord is just allowing me to have a heart for both during this season.  I didn’t know how this would work or what it would look like, but I just laid my heart before the Lord and asked Him to help me honor Him in my service to both, and I feel like He has done that.

I think it boils down to the fact that I continue to just LOVE being a part of the church of Jesus Christ as a whole.  This season of life has been SO good for Justin and I as we have seen and experienced TRUE Biblical community.  We keep having the privilege of praying for people who need it, and it means so much to know that we are prayed for.  This season is just a blessing to be so connected to so many incredible people.  If I can pray for you, or encourage you in some way, or if you have a need you don’t know how to meet, please let me know.  I’d be honored to stand alongside you and pray.  He has given us so much, how can we do anything other than give back?  And if you are not connected to the church of Jesus Christ in a meaningful way, I’d love to take you to coffee and help you find a place.  I don’t know how people go through life, especially through challenges, without it.  It is, quite simply, the center of our life and the foundation we build our life on, and we love it.  Please don’t just live your life without that connection, without that relationship with Christ and His people.  Life can be SO MUCH MORE than sometimes we make it out to be.

Anyway – I better run change the diaper I am most definitely smelling, so I’m going to run.  I know the Lord is always faithful to bring people to my blog, and I hope this one has encouraged someone today.  You are not alone – there is a God who loves you more than you can EVER imagine, and He has a great plan for you.