He Did it on Purpose

This past weekend, the girl fellows had the enjoyment of going on the highly anticipated Church of the Apostles Women’s Retreat in Wilmington, North Carolina. I had heard awesome things about this retreat from some of the women at church, so I was eager to experience it firsthand. We stayed at a beautiful beachy hotel right on the shore. Over 90 women came to the retreat.  It was crazy. And let me tell you, Apostles has some hilarious women. They did skits each night that were ridiculous.

The keynote speaker for the weekend was Courtney Lancaster, the Young Life area director for Raleigh. She spoke on Isaiah 55, breaking down a couple verses each session. The biggest kicker for me was when we looked at verses 3-5. Isaiah talks about how God prepared David to become a leader, better yet, a king. And what was David before he became a king? A shepherd. Despite how vastly different those two vocations sound, they both tend, nurture, protect, and guide. God prepared David for his role as king through his job as a shepherd.

It made me reflect on my own life, and how I hold on tight to my own plans. I’m holding on so much that I am not fulfilling everything that God has intended for his plan. His good, pleasing, and perfect plan. Corrie Ten Boom said to “hold everything in your hands lightly, otherwise it hurts when God pries your fingers open.” God has been preparing me for his mission’s purpose. My eyes were open, however, to the selfishness of my plans for my life. I am learning to hold everything loosely because God has a wonderful purpose for my life, and your life.

John 15:16 says, “You did not choose me but I chose you and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit and that your fruit should abide, so that whatever you ask the Father in my name, he may give it to you.” I was chosen to bear fruit. Even though God sees all of my brokenness, he chose me anyway to bear fruit. That’s my purpose.

-Kate

Some February Highlights

• Coming from New York, I assumed that moving south would bring less snow and fewer snow days.  I was very wrong.  In Raleigh, the threat of a single snowflake falling from the sky brings the city to a standstill.  So far this semester, we’ve missed a couple days of class, and church even got canceled one Sunday.  The biggest snowstorm we’ve had came during a weekend a few weeks ago, and it’s been one of my favorite times with the fellows so far this year.  Almost all of us spent Friday and Saturday night at Alison’s cooking fajitas, playing cards and other games, and watching movies.  Most of the girls had a sleepover both nights, and on Saturday morning we had a fancy brunch complete with circus animal-shaped waffles, pumpkin chocolate chip pancakes and mimosas.
• Monday nights have quickly become one of my favorite nights of the week.  That’s because Monday nights are Bachelor Viewing Party nights at Ashley’s.  It started out as a girl thing, but slowly we’ve been converting the boys into fans of the show.  Ashley usually makes cookies (or cookie dough as I like to eat it) and popcorn, and it’s a lot fun to watch (and make fun of) together.  We especially love Sam’s (Ashley’s husband’s) commentary.
• Our guys are the best.  Last week at Roundtable, we sat down to dinner, and the girls found invitations to a three-course Valentines dinner.  On Monday night, we got dressed up and came to Ashley’s, not quite sure what to expect.  When we walked in, Mike took our coats, and we were each escorted to the table.  Andrew served us wine and prosecco while we began our feast with bread and salad.  For our main course, Chef Mike prepared spinach-wrapped, mozzarella-stuffed chicken with green beans and mashed potatoes.  And for dessert, they spoiled us with oreo cheesecake from the Cheesecake Factory.  They’re pretty classy and we love them a lot.

-KF

What I am going to do with my life

One of the biggest questions we all face is figuring out what to do with our lives. This question seems especially pressing in our early 20’s because we’re making a lot of decisions about what direction we want to head. This question points to a deep desire within us to do something meaningful and be a part of something bigger than ourselves. I want to live courageously and be a part of an adventure.

In the past, this used to produce a lot of stress for me. I felt like there was always a “right” choice. What college should I go to? Who should I marry? What should I do next summer? Should I have honey bunches of oats or cinnamon toast crunch?

Lately, this question has been producing significantly less stress for me. I am in a fun season of life where the Lord is slowly revealing where he wants me to serve him. I think this relief has come from a greater understanding of the great story – God’s creation, redemption, and movement within our lives.

With a proper understanding of the biblical narrative, the fear associated with the future vanishes! There isn’t one right answer that I’m trying to find. God isn’t waiting with a hammer to smack me if I make the wrong choice. As long as I live within the moral will of God, there are SO MANY things I can do for him. So what do I want to do? He’s given me passions and strengths and experiences and weaknesses. How do I want to glorify Him and join the adventure?

That’s what it means to be free in Christ. It’s a paradoxical freedom – similar to finding a wife. When you commit to stay with one person, you are in one sense limiting yourself. But at the same time, that opens you up to not look at every other attractive person with your eyebrows raised thinking, “is this headed somewhere??”. There’s freedom in binding yourself to another. Becoming one with Christ gives us incredible freedom to love Him and serve Him and offer Him everything he has given us. After all, what can we offer to him that we did not first receive from Him? (Romans 11)

I know these thoughts aren’t new revelations – I’ve been told these things for years. But God is solidifying these truths in my mind and I am experiencing His freedom in a new way through this season.

AB

I Am Thankful

November has been a month of incredible blessings, from discovering that my parents are going to get a puppy, to getting to share the gospel with someone very close to me (and seeing it transform his heart). I have been given so many good gifts in this life that I could never write them all down. In honor of Thanksgiving, I’m taking this opportunity to jot down a few things I’m most thankful for, in this acrostic poem. Enjoy!

I am thankful for . . .

Amazing love and compassion from the Lord & friends and family . . .
My mom, dad, and sister . . .

True friendships, both old and new . . .
Hope, and a healthy body, mind, and spirit . . .
A place to call home away from home . . .
New opportunities to learn and grow . . .
Knowledge of God and His love for me . . .
Food and freedom . . .
Undeserved grace and mercy . . .
Life everlasting.