Greetings in the glorious name of Christ, and Happy 2016!!

As I look back at 2015, I am so thankful for the Lord’s kindness, faithfulness, protection, and provision! Truly, His grace is sufficient for me, and His power is made perfect in my weakness (2 Cor 12:9a). 2015 was an incredibly rich yet incredibly hard year.

Some very brief highlights:

• Our team at Light of the World Prayer Center underwent a joyous yet somewhat painful transition as we celebrated 7 weddings within our small circle of staff/previous interns/prayer leaders. Joyful as we are reminded of God’s covenant and promise to return to his Bride, and painful as our staff team shrunk when a few of the newlyweds transitioned away an official staff role for a season. While this was absolutely appropriate and right, I miss them dearly, and am also longing for my own husband, whenever I get to meet him. 🙂  Pray with me that this is soon!!
• In 2015, I’ve was blessed to volunteer with Promise 23 Ranch Ministries – read the details here and here. This was my single favorite thing from last year, and was a hugely tangible reminder that the Lord indeed fulfills promises and brings dreams to realization. You never know what surprises a day will hold!! 🙂 I look forward to continuing with Promise 23 in the coming year.
• Family time! I got to take two trips to TX to visit my sister and other close friends, and my parents were here stateside for 4 months! Living thousands of miles apart, this is us seeing a lot more of each other than “usual” (if such a thing even exists!!??), and it’s a good thing!
• Furry things!  In June, three tiny orphaned kittens, about three weeks old, were found by a regular attender at LOWPC.  He brought them in and I got the joy of fostering them!  I was NOT planning on keeping them, and after they were big enough, I found homes for all of them.  Two of them, however, came back to me and I am delighted to once again have two cats.  Ironically, one all white and one orange tabby.  Some things are just meant to be.  My roommate Anna Joy also got a great dane puppy!  It’s a delightful zoo at our house now, and for this animal loving girl, it’s a very happy zoo.

As I reflect on the journey over this past year with the busy-ness, travel, events, transition, and waiting (lots of waiting), I can say that I began the year with epic hope of the coming goodness of God, and I ended the year hoping stronger still. As we went through the year hoping, though, here’s what we realized (and as my dear friend Christy pointed out), we need hope in the waiting. Hope is holding on to the Lord for all he says he is and all we believe him to be when we’re still waiting for the breakthrough…still waiting for the answer. In the evolution of the English language, we say “hope”, but I think we mean “wish”. But God is not a genie to be conjured up for our every whim and fancy. He’s also not high in the sky, distant or uncaring. He is a loving Father, who’s thoughts toward us outnumber the stars in the sky and the sand by the sea. He is our ever present help in times of trouble. He is the man of sorrows, acquainted with grief. He is the soon and coming King who reigns in justice and truth. There is nothing that we can experience in this life that is beyond his compassionate loving care. We must choose, however, between looking at God through the lens of our circumstances and looking at our circumstances through the truth of God and his Word.

Over and over again he says that no one who hopes in…trusts in…waits for…him will EVER be put to shame. Hope is clinging to the One who is Perfect Love. And as we hold on for dear life, we we keep moving forward – that’s faith. So, 2015 was a year of epic hope, yes. It was a year of epic clinging and trusting in the very real and painful waiting. But guess what – we’re still here! We haven’t failed! We are not ashamed or forsaken!!

Prayer Requests

SO, I look ahead to 2016 and I have no idea what this year holds. But I know who holds it, and that’s enough for me. I look forward to this year because I look forward to seeing more of God’s goodness made manifest in my life, family, work, church, and community. Here are some details that I currently know of between now and April, for which I covet your prayers!!

• We rejoice in welcoming Scott and Michelle Flora to our team at LOWPC!! They arrived from the East Coast this week and we are SO glad they are here! They are a piece of God’s goodness toward LOWPC. Please pray for them and their two daughters as they settle into Bellingham. Pray that we as a team grow in unity, love, grace, and effectiveness.
• We are working on a new website for LOWPC! I’ve been waiting to dig into this for a really long time. We’re finally doing it! Please pray for creativity and clarity for myself and the others working on this!! My goal is to have everything up and running by our fundraiser mid-April.  Also please pray for continued grace on rhythm and pace as I seek to be faithful and a good steward with the big picture and all the little details.
• Please pray for good health and physical protection for myself and our whole team in 2016! Last year our whole team at one point or another had sickness beyond the seasonal cold/flu, and we had some major medical issues as well. Pray that we continue to learn to rest in the Lord first, steward our bodies well, and work with his wisdom and insight.
• I am so unspeakably thankful to be supported as a missionary in Bellingham, and it is a wonderful journey of trusting in the Lord’s timing for financial provision!! I am humbled that my family and friends so generously give, which allows me to be here!! Please pray for the Lord’s abundant provision for each of my prayer and financial partners (that’s you!! 😀 )!! Please pray for continued favor in fundraising, both personally and for LOWPC and Promise 23.
• Pray for more musicians and worshipers to join us regularly at LOWPC!!  Musical worship is a big part of our ministry, and we could really use some reinforcements!!  Pray for grace and favor in networking, and I’m asking the Lord to just bring them in!
• At LOWPC, we start each year with a period of corporate fasting and seeking the Lord for the coming year. This year, I sense two things from the Lord for me personally. First, “no more coasting,” in any area. So, being intentional in both the big and the little things; pursuing relationships – with the Lord, friends, family, my horse :), whoever is in front of me…; wanting to walk (propelled forward momentum) in a manner worthy of the calling (Eph 4:1). Second, I’m to “use my voice and speak up”. This is fairly self-explanatory…but so not my favorite thing to do! So I ask for prayers for wisdom and grace and boldness, that I would be able to speak the truth in love (Eph 4:15), that my words would be good for building up, fitting for the occasion, giving grace to those who hear (Eph 4:29). I think Ephesians 4 is my personal prayer theme chapter for 2016. It is my desire to live I hear God’s voice, both in the whisper and the thunder, and have the courage obey.

Again, thank you, thank you, thank you, for partnering with me!  Your friendship is dear to me!  “And my God will supply every need of yours according to his riches in glory in Christ Jesus.  To our God and Father be glory forever and ever.  Amen.” (Phil 4:19-20)