Savor the Season Silent Stroll

I know, its been awhile....Since I do live in Seattle, I probably should post something about it here. Fall is my favorite season here. I recently realized I have not been here for a full fall season in 4 years.

Back on Veterans Day, my creative roommate planned a walk at Discovery Park, which is, according to its website: "a 534 acre natural area park operated by the Seattle Parks and Recreation. It is the largest city park in Seattle, and occupies most of the former Fort Lawton site. The site is one of breathtaking majesty. Situated on Magnolia Bluff overlooking Puget Sound, Discovery Park offers spectacular views of both the Cascade and the Olympic Mountain ranges. The secluded site includes two miles of protected tidal beaches as well as open meadow lands, dramatic sea cliffs, forest groves, active sand dunes, thickets and streams."

     We were instructed not to talk while we were walking, to just absorb nature, to reflect on it and pay attention to its characteristics that we might not otherwise notice if we were engaged in conversation. It was relaxing and really did cause me to take notice of God's beauty surrounding me.

 Such crazy cool trees in that park

*All photos taken with my phone

Read with me

For Love's Sake: One young woman's trek with the world's poor and your open door to a life of experiential love, by Jessica Davis
 (this woman works with or has worked for (I'm not sure if she still does because I haven't read for enough in the book to know for sure) Rolland and Heidi Baker, who started Iris Ministries, in Mozambique.)

"This journey is for the hungry because it is about the hungry. It is about what can happen when the hungry go after that which their soul longs for. Two things can happen to a hungry man- he can starve or he can eat. This, too, is our choice. A place where hunger is married to fullness is where we can now reside."



What does your soul long for? What or Who are you passionate about? Tell me please. Share with me your experiences, readers.

Great Exploits

Maybe this is why I am always looking for adventure, for more, for something I can't quite put my finger on. More of Him in me, to not be satisfied with the "normal," to do and be more. I don't recall reading this verse ever before, but I am loving it:

Daniel 11:32b- "But the people who know their God shall be strong, and carry out great exploits."

This is my prayer for today. Dream, people. Dream big, because He says He will do more than we can ask or imagine. What exploits does God want to carry out through you? 

Haiti and Radical

I just left Haiti last week. And yesterday I decided to start reading Radical by David Platt (so now I start missing Haiti and forgetting all the reasons I thought I was supposed to leave). And tonight I read this post from Anne Voskamp, reflecting on her trip to Haiti: http://www.aholyexperience.com/2012/07/the-1-thing-you-really-have-to-know-about-your-family/

Excuse me while I go have an ugly cry then pray, "What do I do with these? What do You want me to do, Lord? Show me my mission field here, Lord."

Best Quotes from the blog post:

She puts a grass woven hat on my head and all I can think of is Job saying “justice was my robe and turban” (Job 29:14). In the family of Christ, we wear justice for the poor. In the Body of Christ, our lives should be clothed in caring like our bodies are covered in clothing.

You can turn a blind eye to the poor all you want but it could have turned out that you were the poor.

You don’t stay in the palace if you want anybody to find                  deliverance – especially yourself.

Are we entangled in Christ and loving His family or are we entangled in culture and its pressures to have all of its stuff?

You don’t forget who your brother is — when you know Who your Father                  is.

Linking you to "A House Call in Haiti"

http://www.pjstar.com/haiti_ugc_blog/x23411756/A-House-Call-in-Haiti

Sweets!

I've never been much of a baker. Let's just be honest, I'll eat chocolate or sweets any day of the week, I just never cared to make that stuff myself. But since moving in with Jocie and watching and helping her cook delectable treats and dinners (tea, as these Aussie's call it), I've decided I must be able to make these things on my own for when I leave here and because it is actually fun. So, in addition to making different meals I've now made four different homemade cakes and I'm loving it. 

Number 1:

Apple cake for Chabine's birthday

Number 2:

Banana upside-down cake for one of John and Jocie's dinner guests. Jocie found a Haitian cookbook at a bookstore/coffee shop (eat your heart out, Barnes and Noble) that we've been using. But no pics. Whoops.

Number 3:

Coconut cake with custard filling and meringue frosting to welcome our new interns (also from the Haitian cookbook). Whoops again...no pictures.

Number 4:

Hot fudge cake for my bible study girls

Let me know if ya'll have any that I should try out...especially when I get back to Washington next week and need a reason for people to want to catch up (oh, p.s. I am moving back there- one day I'll post about that).

Junior

Hi friends,

We're doing a fundraiser to help one of our kids to continue attending an English-speaking school. This includes raising money for this month, June 2012, through next June 2013. See below for details and a link.

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Junior is a seventeen-year-old young man with a heart of gold.  Most who have had the privilege of meeting him know within a few minutes that God has placed a special calling on his life.  His heart for the Lord inspires both his peers and the spiritually mature.  Many of the kids nicknamed him "Pastor Junior" because of his dedication and diligence to studying and preaching God's Word. 

Although it is difficult to imagine, Junior used to beg on the streets of Delmas Blvd. in Port-au-Prince with many other young kids. He was ushered from the streets into living in the MDL Boys' Home through a friend’s street ministry.  Shortly after coming into the safely of MDL, his mother was murdered in Cite Soleil and then his father later passed away in the countryside. Today, Junior, this once timid child, boldly preaches the Gospel, having put his faith and hope in Christ more than four years ago.  He often teaches at devotionals and even partnered with other children from MDL two summers ago in doing an evangelistic outreach for their extended family members and community in the village where they grew up.     

Junior has long expressed his hope of becoming an evangelist.  Ranch Church in Santa Ynez, California has expressed a desire to come alongside Junior’s calling and financially support him at Calvary Chapel Bible College in Murrieta, California.  Needing an American high-school equivalent education to apply, Junior is currently enrolled in an American school in Haiti called Morning Star Christian Academy. We are praying that more people would come alongside to support his tuition fees until he finishes in 2014. To help Junior to continue to prepare for the work God is calling him to do we need to raise $475.00 a month for tuition and lunch money. Please prayerfully consider whether you would like to become involved in helping Junior by committing to financially sponsor him for half a month's tuition, one month, or multiple months of school. 

      Please pray for Junior, that he would continue to thrive in every aspect of his life, and that he'd keep Christ at the center of everything he does.  If you'd like to sponsor school for Junior, please click here and scroll to the bottom of the page for payment options. 

                       Mesi Anpil!