Wednesday, October 27, 2010

How is your walk on the balance beam?

Tonight in class at Third we watched this video http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LA_uwWPE6lQ

It was amazing to me!  What Francis Chan has been through, and the decisions he has made and how God has used him.  I feel like I'm jumping up and down on that beam right now (details to come) but awesome!  I want to hear WELL DONE good and faithful servant someday... how about you?

Tuesday, October 26, 2010

What's been happening

Thoughts from the last few months...

Life has changed a lot this summer... here are the details
-small group gals (of 6.5 years) left for college
-new job going from manufacturing and managing 7 people to corporate sitting in cubicle
-turned 30
-roommate of a few years moving out and getting married

but something in my heart has been changing the last few years... I feel like this house that I, and others who helped me, have put so much work and effort into... I need to let it go... and I'm okay with that.  What's up with that?

Sunday, October 24, 2010

The Beginning... of my Favorite Part

Events below from June 2010 before Haiti...

I have had an awesome part already in my life being part of God's amazing story.  I grew up in a strong Christian home and had faith but in the last 7 years God has grown in me exponentially!  It has been so thrilling and I'm so honored it is hard to explain.  The vision He had given me for the last few years has come to a "chapter close".  What I mean is that I've had the opportunity to mentor a group of young women from 6th grade through high school, and at the end of this summer they've moved on to their next chapters.  As you can imagine I've seen some of the best and worst in their lives and talking to the girls what kept us together was Truth and Love as scripture states, being honest and sharing all, and much much prayer!  My life has changed quite a bit with them gone but my heart is so different and open to where God may want me next.

One of the ways God has changed me is with a gift the last few years of getting pictures in prayer and worship.  This is not something I can control but totally a gift when needed for myself or others.  The most meaningful one for me happened a few months ago.  I was in a prayer meeting and we were doing Lectio Divina (focusing on a scripture) and the leader told us that some of us had to let go of a fear and take it to the cross.  At this time the girls were leaving, my job was changing the week after, my roommate was moving out and more... I had been telling myself that I would deal with it when it happened.  But God had different plans and lovingly told me I needed to deal with it then.  I pictured myself taking the future to the cross in the form of a book, setting it down and kneeling.  At this point the images were given to me, and not my own (I wish I was this creative) and what I saw was Jesus walking over to the cross, picking up the book and
taking it over to what looked like my dad's lazy boy chair growing up.  He sat down, and started to read the book.  I saw myself as a "little Rayelle" kneeling on the floor with a keen ear.  As Jesus was reading I began to realize the book he had wasn't just my life so far... it was my whole life.  And as the little Rayelle found him in the part of my life right about now, she looked up at Him and said... "This is my favorite part!" 



What had I just heard... I sat there for a long moment and had a tear or two and reaffirmed that I was willing to do whatever God called me to do...Send me... let the Adventure begin.

Saturday, October 23, 2010

What a week

Friends, I would never would have guessed on a Saturday night after a day of fun in Des Moines I'd be sitting awake creating a blog.  But with the week I've had, in fact the last few months, or maybe even 7 years... I need to start sharing some of this.  I hope this will be enjoyable for you, will help me remember, and will glorify God. Stay tuned for more... :)