Nothing Profound

Pardon me for my lack of posting but there hasn't been much to report. Life has continued on without much news however I do feel the pace beginning to quicken. I have a bridal shower/bachelorette party to go to in a few weeks, next month I am in the wedding of a very dear friend (Ashley, I couldn't be more excited for you and Cliff!!!), the month after that I'm going to another wedding (It's almost here Sarah!) and then the holidays come barreling down. Geez, it is already September. I wonder if I should start my Christmas shopping now? Don't tempt me.

Jon's classes are going well and he is staying busy with his applied ministry work. Along with all of that Jon is also preparing his resume and before we know it we will begin the process of seeking the Lord's will for the next phase of our lives. It's thrilling to say the least. As I look to all of the changes ahead I am trying desperately to stay focused on growing and preparing for what is to come rather than get frustrated over what can easily feel like waiting.

During the past 6 months or so reading has become a new love for me. I have never been one to read much fiction, not that I don't enjoy a good story but mainly because factual accounts can be just as fascinating. So along those lines I have read numerous missionary biographies and felt that I have grown ten fold just by gleaning wisdom from such wonderful men and women of God. Recently I began reading Faithful Women and their Extraordinary God by Noel Piper. Each chapter focuses on the life of one women of faith (Sarah Edwards, Lilais Trotter, Esther Ahn Kim, Helen Roseveare). The current chapter I am on tells the story of Gladys Aylward, a missionary to China. Reading about these accounts have been more than encouraging to my faith and in a way I have felt a close kinship with these women (along with the likes of Elisabeth Elliot and Amy Charmichael). Despite the fact that many of them have long since departed this earth I am grateful for their wisdom and oddly enough can say that they have been a kind of mentor to me over the past months. Watching them sit at the feet of their Savior and live lives devoted to him whether by staying at home with their children or leaving all familiarity behind to travel to some far away country their stories point to the greatness of the God they serve. Like I said earlier, I am encouraged.

Coupled with my reading of numerous biographies I have continued reading through the Bible. I can't remember if I mentioned this earlier but I felt conviction a few months ago for never having read through the whole Bible so I found a Bible reading plan and by the grace of God I've been able to stick to it. There have been days I have struggled, seeing the plan more as a box to check off rather than time with God, but overall it has been a wonderful challenge. God is good.

Well I'm sure I could write more but I guess I'll wrap this up on a bit of a tangent. This morning when we were walking Paisley I about lost it when she obliviously walked directly into a tree. It was probably one of the funniest things I have seen in a long time. To her credit there was a very intriguing little girl riding around in a pink jeep power wheel. I think Paisley was more than a bit distracted. Jon and I were deep in conversation and didn't even see Paisley heading straight for the tree until it was too late. Thankfully, she is fine.

More to come....hopefully.

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When ours are interrupted, his are not. His plans are proceeding exactly as scheduled, moving us always (including those minutes or hours or years which seem most useless or wasted or unendurable) "toward the goal of true maturity" (Rom 12:2). Elisabeth Elliot