Glorify the Lord with me...

At Mass on Sunday,

 after having ridden 45 miles 

(most of which was the Portland Bridge Pedal), 

with a worn out body. 

I felt raw and open and vulnerable. 

Too spent physically to engage emotionally or mentally. 

Content and happy

nothing between me and what God would show me during mass. 

The responsorial Psalm was from Psalm 34

vv3-4

Oh, magnify the Lord with me, 

and let us exalt his name together! 

I sought the Lord, and he answered me 

and delivered me from all my fears.

I felt tears well up in my eyes. 

I did seek the Lord over my anxieties preceding this bike ride. 

I did ask others to pray for me as I felt anxieties well up within my soul. 

He did answer. 

He did deliver me from my fears. 

I did have a moment toward the end where my lack of ability to get oxygen going up a hill cause me to hyperventilate... but I was not afraid. 

And the whole ride, 

over all the bridges, 

around all the people, 

with the support of my boyfriend 

I made it. I did something I never dreamed I could do. 

Magnify the Lord with me! Let us exalt His name together!

Where does the time go?

Lent finished and according to the church calendar we are still in the Easter Season. 

50 days of Easter follow Lent up to Pentacost Sunday. 

Wow. 

50 days of rejoicing after 40 days of self examination and pondering how much we need a Savior.

 I am grateful for this designation of time. 

I am preparing to make a major transition. That of going from being a financially supported missionary to being a full time employee in some organization or corporation. The last time I had a role like this was in 2005 when I left my job to work overseas with Cru. 

The last time I wrote up an American resume was in 2002. 

I am 

Excited and nervous

Hopeful and cautious

I know that I am following the Lord's leading in this. I feel the same way I did when I knew I was supposed to return to the states. I got on the plane and wrote in my journal, "I do not know what the destination is of this particular journey, but I know I am taking the right step." 

I am feeling the same way now. I do not know what job I will have next. But I know that is the direction I am supposed to go. 

I know who I am in Christ. 

I know what my gifts and strengths are. 

I desire to utilize the best of who I am as I move on. 

I recall a phrase the Lord gave me after 4 years in Germany. I need to "do a job that utilizes my admin skills to develop people more than I need to do a job that utilizes my people skills to do admin nicely."

So, 

Easter. 

Rejoicing. 

It is a new and glorious.

Christ is RISEN

He is risen indeed!

He is the one I trust!

The Paschal Mystery

I am preparing to lead a time tonight for the RCIA group at church about the Paschal Mystery. What is the Paschal Mystery you ask? Pasqua is Italian for Easter. Does that help? :) the Paschal Mystery is....

According to Wikipedia:
"One of the central concepts of Christian faith relating to the history of salvation. Its main subject is the passion, death, and Resurrection of Jesus Christ – the work God the Father sent his Son to accomplish on earth"

In essence, it is the name given by the Catholic Church to the entirety of Christ's passion, death and resurrection. And how great a mystery that Christ would die for us and that His death covers our sins and gives us the opportunity to join with God in eternity. 

RCIA is the program that a person goes through if they are interested in learning more about the Catholic Church and about joining. 

I love this program. It not only teaches the faith traditions of the Catholic Church, but it instills in the attenders the importance of knowing and being known by Jesus Christ. A relationship with God is the reason why we do everything else. Participating in Mass, crossing ourselves with the sign of the cross, going to reconciliation....these are all good things, but they mean nothing if we do not have a deepening relationship with Jesus Christ. 

I am excited to walk with the participants tonight through the Paschal Mystery. It is so VERY important for their journey. And for my journey and for your journey. Lent is a time to remember the amazing gift of love that we have been given. 

Cinderella

I am a romantic. I know it. I fully admit it. 

I just watched the trailer for the new Cinderella movie. I found myself sighing, as just about every young girl, young woman, and old woman does. It is the ultimate fairy tale of kindness and love conquering all the odds. 

I know this story so well. I know so many versions of the story.. the musicals and the non musicals and yet I want to go to the theatre and watch this version. 

Why? because I am a romantic and I love the romance of it. I love that it is the prince's pursuit of Cinderella and his goodness and kindness which draw us in. He fought to find her and once he finds her, he protects her and cherishes her. And they lived happily ever after. ....

No man is perfect. Many men try to be perfect. Some men do not try to be perfect. All men are imperfect.

for that matter...

all women are imperfect too no matter how hard we try...

In my imperfection, I desire to be romanced and to romance. The funny thing is that romance is different for everyone.

It's the little things like a smile shared across a room, or a hand on the small of my back. or a simple note that says I love you. 

It's grand gestures of words spread across the clouds, or expensive gifts, or a lingering hug. 

It's an intimate proposal of marriage, or a large scale lots of friends proposal of marriage.

It's cuddling up and watching a movie. It's watching what you want even if I don't want to. It's watching what I want even if you don't want to. 

It's dancing in the living room and/or dancing at a ball or not dancing at all. 

The common thread... is the heart. 

What we do for and with those we love is an expression of our hearts. 

and when our hearts are at rest in Christ and we are who we are designed to be,

,,,the romancing is beautiful. 

Authentic Community in Transformation

Today, I am going to the 5th of 6 times away with the A.C.T. Journey. We are almost finished with the journey together. We will continue to journey after. 

Authentic Community in Transformation

Sounds comforting and scary and challenging and delightful right?

A group of people from very different life circumstance, coming together with the desire to know more of who God is and who God is calling us to be. 

We are drawn together through authentic, vulnerable, transformative sharing, praying, learning, listening, and being together. 

I have learned so much about myself and God already through this process. These are deeply emotional times together for me, because we are processing so much. 

We journey with people in the Bible through their discoveries of who God is. 

We learn ways to listen to what God may be trying to tell us. 

So I am going on this 5th gathering today until Sunday. My phone and facebook will be neglected as I focus on what God may want to do in me this weekend. 

Your prayers for safety, physically, emotionally, mentally and spiritually are coveted.