Growing our Girls

Okay, so this is my first post. I don't know how well I'll keep up with it, this is a little more confusing than xanga anyway. I'm sure I'll be able to figure it out though.

I work at the coffee house, which is a blessing (on most days) because you never know who will walk through the doors. Some random guy from Australia came in today... I love just getting to talk to people- you'll never know what you'll learn. I told him I was in Kenya for the summer as a missionary... his parents used to missionaries in Zambia while he was little- how cool is that? Then David Haynes came in... man, God just blesses my heart everytime I talk to anyone from that family. God just started speaking to him about a sermon he's going to be doing, so he was telling me about it and was all excited to get into the Word... neat. I love that excitement. Passion. It's incredible. You know that kind of excitement that just rubs off on you? That's what I'm feeling right now.

Okay anyway, I was reading in My Utmost... today. God has used that to speak to me so much the past couple months that I've been home. The verses today were from Luke 9:57-61.
In verse 58 Jesus says "...the Son of Man has nowhere to lay His head." The way Oswald Chambers puts it, is that it destroys the idea that serving Christ is a pleasant thing to do. Wow. On one hand that just ignites inside of me a greater desire to go onto the mission field (which is where I know I'm called-- whether that means stateside missions, or international, God will show us in time.) But on the other hand, I remember being in Kenya and how amazing it was but at the same time I remember the hard times-- on loneliness or the longing to see my friends and family. There is much joy in serving the Lord, yes, but Chambers has also said not to confuse the joy of Christ with happiness.
In verse 61 a man said "Lord, I will follow you, but let me first..." (I dont feel a need to finish that verse). Chambers says this person is intently ready to go, but never goes. Wow (again). Oh the excuses we come up with!!! I feel my heart breaking because I know these people... my prayer is that I will never be one of them.
...start going and never stop...
Dustin and I always pray that we continue to be totally abandoned to the will of the Lord.
What does it look like? That abandonment?
He says is looks like Kenya. It looks like Guadalajara. (Talking about my going to Kenya this summer... and my parents and Laura going to Mexico.)
There is no "yes, Lord, but first..."
I am so excited that my parents (who are right now in MX) left without any "buts".
And I am thrilled for Laura and what God will do with your obedience to Him.
"He who calls you is faithful" (1 Thess 5:24)
Oh, He is SO faithful!!!

God bless yall.