God is so big

Our church has become Redeemer Church Cedar Falls.

I appreciate the heart of my old (younger than me) pastor here.

• Brooks shared, and I too can see, that when it is SO different and difficult, these changes are evidence that this is God building HIS church not us.  
• We are growing, and that is to God's glory because of His Son.  
• Sacrificially at times, I need to Give myself over to this exciting, scary adventure unfolding before us.
• I need to pray. Pray. Pray...through the new and when I miss the old.
  
   
As one of our men said this last Sunday, about Kaio, and also about who we have become in Redeemer---"We are a church that begins and ends with Jesus."(by His Grace and with His strength) I am so thankful. May we never be a church built on any other name.

Follow up...

So yeah, I've been mostly free of "me" but yesterday I caught myself beginning to whine for attention.

surprises

This is undoubtedly God's blessing and His work, not necessarily identified by the difficulties and the way it isn't exactly "easy" but instead, by my giggle ---basically I smile like a fool in the midst of hardship, because of His presence.

I watch myself trusting His plan because I have learned intimately how my plans brought death and despair. 

There is joy where I now experience lack, because I remember how the bounty nearly broke me.

His ways are not my ways. Why am I always so surprised?

where next?

"And he made from one man every nation of mankind to live on all the face of the earth, having determined allotted periods and the boundaries of their dwelling place,  that they should seek God, and perhaps feel their way toward him and find him. Yet he is actually not far from each one of us..."

As we wonder about our next dwelling, I love the way He shows me Himself.

My semester

Before my  9 am class every Tues/Thur I go to the local Panera for an hour to sit and enjoy myself after dropping off my daughter.

I have met the couple whose husband's health is declining and his humor just increases--Always a jolly "hello, this chair is open for you" invitation.

There is the table of seniors who share life...some married, most not. They pass stories and photographs while enjoying their toast and coffee.


There is usually a couple of senior guys at their own table, nonchalontly scanning the restaureant while discussing man things in their deep voices.


And
there is the great grandpa with the charming smile who comes over to me each week to flirt with me shamelessly. He brightens my morning with stories of his sassy, great-granddaughters, his troublemaking youth, his German speaking adoptive parents, his rich family life....


He calls me toots, and cutie,and beautiful. He discovered today I was a "frau" not a "fraulein" much to his "disappointment".
He mingles expletives, flirtations and hilarious stories with ease. Oh how the girls must have fallen for him and his Irish Catholic charm.
I think I need to take another class next semester! :)