Ash Wednesday

This past week, I attended my first Ash Wednesday service. Previously, I was under the impression that Ash Wednesday was for Catholics, and thought nothing of it's meaning or application for me, but then found out my church was holding an Ash Wednesday service, and decided to attend. I was so encouraged.

It is a day to remember. As Jesus rode into Jerusalem on a donkey, people laid palm fronds on the ground, and hailed him as a king. He was their accepted king. Later, those very same people jeered and spat as he hung on a cross as their Savior. We do the same thing.

We also remember Cain and Abel. Cain killed his brother. Then as God was punishing him, (and driving him from the land), he begs God for mercy. We do the same thing. We commit murder, we sin in the most atrocious ways, and then ask God for mercy. God was merciful with Cain, he did not allow Cain to be killed in spite of the fact that he had killed his brother. Instead he marked Cain with a sign, so that others would not kill him. This was a gracious act. God was gracious to Cain. We don't know what this mark was, but it was a visible sign that others could see. It was a mark of shame for his deeds, but a mark of grace, because God spared his life.

And so we burn palm fronds, and we put the ashes on our heads, we remember that we deserve death for our sin and should be ashamed, but God is gracious to us and saves us.

Grace so Amazing

I haven't been on in a while. Ty and I have been working a lot, and enduring life in a way that makes you hopeful, and grateful. I have never so desperately needed the faithfulness of God, and He has never been so graciously faithful in my life. We have experienced job loss, several times over, and every trial that comes with that. Trying nothing more than to be obedient to what we feel God has laid before us and everything stands in the way of that- it's overwhelming. Yet, God is faithful. There were times that bills should not have been paid, when God graciously provided. I have cried out to God in desperation multiple times, and He has always answered. I am more amazed by His grace in my life than ever before. I don't deserve salvation. I am a wretched sinner, and I certainly don't deserve for him to be my Rescuer when I fail; yet he has, and does, again and again. He cares and provides, continuously. The Perfect Holy God of the Universe has time for me, cares for me, knows my every need and meets me where I am. Sometimes he allows the struggle so I can grow, and trust, and seek Him, but always, He is there.

He is SO faithful, and SO gracious to me.

Love So Amazing, So Divine... Demands My Soul, My Life, My All

And the Change Continues...

It's funny how we make plans. Plans fail. So we make more plans. Perhaps our planning is running with what we think God has in store. Perhaps we should tread with more trepidation as we step. At any rate, plans have continued to be made, and continued to be changed.

I am no longer working on my BCBA. At least not for now. Perhaps down the road. But then again, maybe not. I'll have to pray about that one a bit more first.

Tyler has a new job that he likes very much, and we are very grateful for. Praise God! Our prayer is that we will now be able to free ourselves from debt and then be able to be freely used by God in our finances.

The church plant is going well. God is blessing it, and we are being blessed by being able to be involved. We are excited to see where things will go and how the Father will use us.

Job. We've been studying Job at Sojourn, and boy, it is a swift reminder. I have been both blessed and overwhelmed as we have studied this book. It has made me eager for the Word, and I have been overjoyed to watch the effects of it work in my life.

I feel like this is just a short update, and my prayer is that in the future I will do a better job of updating on here, so that it will less look like a calendar, and more like a journey.

Change

Alot has been going on lately. Tyler and I are helping our church with a new church plant we are launching. I am seriously looking into grad school for my BCBA certification. We are making plans to move into a bigger apartment, and Tyler is currently working on a resume for a new job. Phew. Alot to think about, and all very exciting.

We are so excited about getting involved in helping with Sojourn's new church plant. It's an exciting time to be involved and get plugged in. But there is always the sigh of *change*. It's not a bad thing, in fact, it's a good thing, but it won't be " the same". I think that is a good thing. I think God is once again making me flexible so that he can use me. I am really excited. But still, sometimes in the quiet moments, I find a big sigh coming from deep within me- sort of like a breath preparing for the road of change ahead.

Grad School. God has seemingly opened some big doors that will allow me to do a one year master's level certification program to have a BCBA degree (Board Certified Behavior Analyst). This will open many doors for both Tyler and I, as Ty looks at grad school ahead, and will allow us to potentially accomplish some very clear goals that we believe are God- given. That's exciting too.

Bigger Apartment=more to clean. Haha just kidding. A bigger apartment will allow us to not only have room to open our home to friends and family that are traveling, or need a place to stay, it will also allow us the space to spread out- so that as we head into a few years of grad school (me first, then Ty), we won't be breathing down one another's necks as the other tries to study.

And finally, Tyler is currently working on a resume for a new job that a friend recommended him for. We are praying that if he is supposed to get the job, he will, and if not, the door will very clearly close.

As you read, please join us in prayer for these big events in the days and weeks to come.