At first, I don’t know what to do with articles like this one. I always think it’s Onionish or Lark Newsish, only to come to find out, it’s very real - and still ridiculous.

I found this - God Trumps article from New Humanist about cards, that really help you decide which religion fits you best, as if going through a drive through window and able to choose a combo menu.

I feel so incredibly sad for people who feel as if this might be their answer.

So what’s the use in having a blog, if you don’t use it. I’m not sure - it’s just taking up valuable web space. So, I figured, I needed to tap into webspace again and verbalize a few things.

In a lot of ways I feel wrecked, not by emotions purely, and not by circumstances, and I don’t mean any of this to alarm anyone, I just feel like life a lot of times makes you feel caught off guard.

I feel like a lot of days, I’m not up-to-speed in the normal “American” pace of life. It’s a weird thing. I don’t feel like I function at the same level of productivity as I used to. Although, I do have to take into consideration the reality that I am starting in a lot of new things. But, it still amazes me that my memory fails me often (and I don’t think this has anything to do with being closer to 30- so slow down on the jokes).

I’ve been learning deeply from the Lord - He’s been teaching me about what a blessing it is that He saved me, even from myself, not just from the enemy. This basic truth motivates my life in so many ways. There is a verse packaged in Jeremiah 29, and no, it’s not even verse 11, that says this,

Build houses and settle down; plant gardens and eat what they produce. 6 Marry and have sons and daughters; find wives for your sons and give your daughters in marriage, so that they too may have sons and daughters. Increase in number there; do not decrease. 7 Also, seek the peace and prosperity of the city to which I have carried you into exile. Pray to the LORD for it, because if it prospers, you too will prosper. (Jer 29:4-7)

The truth that exists inside of that passage of scripture permeates me as I think of praying to the Lord for the sake of the city I’m living in, it makes me realize the depths of church ministry and the reality of the power of the cross to intersect in lives and to bring unity, clarity, and wholeness to broken lives.

I think as I’ve entered into church world, I’ve realized the supreme neediness of those around me, those who are in need of someone to walk beside them, and to pray for them, to challenge, and to keep accountable. I’ve been so used to working with college students, who, for the most part, have not been hit by life yet. But life, it gets really really hard, and people have really difficult things to deal with.

The truth of Him saving us, must echo in our hearts, it must resound in the way we live, and all too often I just think it doesn’t do that. I think in the usual, day-to-day we are more caught up in the tasks of life to stop and realize the depths of salvation.

This verse, has stuck with me, ever since I read it last week, it says this:

If the LORD had not been on our side— (Ps 124:1)

What can you say, if the Lord had not been on your side…

…think of how much worse off we would be.

….if you are struggling now, if your marriage is in shambles, if you are in a conflict, if you are depressed, think of what it would look like without the Lord on our side.

We have so much to be thankful for and we don’t even realize it.

My flat is invaded with ants. They are everywhere.

They are easy to spot on the hardwoods, they are busy things, and they are never alone. Maybe we can learn from this. In Proverbs 6, the ants are referenced as hard working - they don’t even have a master, but they work hard anyway. Then, likewise, we who have a Father who is in heaven, should work hard to please the Lord. They are never alone, they are working together. When you talk about ants you always talk about them in the plural. I’m learning to see truth and design in ant-life. I think this is life as God intends it. Working together, for a common goal, being like-minded (Phil 2) and in community. May we be like the ants and invade lives with the truth of the gospel and the unity of a common goal.

I wanted to take a chance to say happy birthday to my great friend Rebecca Buchanan. I met her on summer project in Daytona in 2005 as staff, when me, her, Sal, and Meredith roomed together. It was a great summer of sand, discipleship, Moes, and conversation. As time went on, I continued to keep in touch with her, and visited her a few times in Charleston. Rebecca is currently on staff with Crusade in the low country of South Carolina, sharing the gospel with students and doing the essential work of meeting with people. She is a great encouragement to me in my walk with the Lord and in my life stage. I enjoy her sense of humor, her laidbackness, and her appreciation for hipster, vintage, bluegrass, indie and thrift. I’m thankful for our conversations since I’ve been over in Slovakia, even if it is just to give advice on how to do taxes as Crusade staff (I still don’t think any of us know how with accuracy.) Reb is my roommate at most conferences, until this year when I straight up abandoned her to go on STINT, sorry Reb. She says she’ll take me back. Reb calls me her “most resourceful friend” and I’m thankful to be of help whenever, wherever. She keeps me non-mainstream, and pushes the way I think. I’m thankful for you Rebecca Buchanan and I’m glad our friendship has withstood the test of time and staff life.

John Mayer, sings these lyrics in his song titled, “Something’s Missing”
“Something’s missing, and I don’t know how to fix it, Something’s missing, and I don’t know what it is, no I don’t know what it is, at all” You can see a pictorial representation, in this video (below).

These lyrics, and this song, have been the theme of my Spring semester here in Slovakia. I’ve seen girls say this, time and time again. One girl, in particular, Miška, who became a believer almost a year ago, is growing in her faith. Several times she told me she had the opportunity to share with classmates that something was missing in her life, and now she knows what it was; Jesus.
Another girl that I have the privilege of working with, Zuzka, shared with me recently that she feels like she now has purpose in life and that she knows God wants to use her to tell others about the hope of eternity. (Me with Miska and Zuzka pictured below)

We’ve continued to use a tool called Soularium on campus, where we engage with students in conversation over a set of 50 pictures and a survey with questions like these, “which 3 images would you use to describe your life” and “which picture would you use to describe your spiritual journey so far.” Students will say things like “I know there is a light, but I don’t know how to get to it,” (Kristina) “I think God is standing on the other side of the door but I don’t know how to open it.” (Julia) When students say things like these, I feel completely privileged to engage in conversations with them about spiritual things and the joy of knowing Christ.
In addition to working with students like Miška and Zuzka and doing Soularium on campus, I also had the chance to be trained in a new strategy, called Story of the Soul at the Eastern European Headquarters in Budapest. Story of the Soul “is a conversational journey in a coffee house-like setting. The Gospel is shared after considering stories the soul of man has been telling for eons through: film, music, classic literature, pop culture, poetry, artwork, and history.” Check it out on you tube (below).

and a few pictures from my time in Story of the Soul training…

I also have the privilege of organizing a summer project to Serbia! Where we will be working in a Slovak village with high school and college students. There are still many details that need to be worked out and students that need to sign up! Please pray for Kristina, Baska, Jozo, Sebastian, and Ivan to come with us to Serbia! We really believe that Serbia will be a major catalyst for our students to see God use them! Pray with us for BIG things. You are a blessing to me!

Please look around on my blog, in addition to this update there are also posts about my life overseas, a new video series I’m starting called, “what I’m going to miss about Slovakia, ” my top 5 travel items, as well as an update on a recent women’s weekend (please withhold judgement and keep in mind this is not the south!) Please leave a comment! I love to know who reads my blog and what you think.

Thanks for your support and for praying for the gospel to advance on the hard soil of Eastern Europe!

many of you know that i am a big fan of donald miller, his talks, his books, and even i’ve developed somewhat a crush on him.

i just listened to a great talk by miller that i got off of itunes called 13 shifts on a paradigm. thought i’d link you to it (below), it’s a bit long but really refreshing and helps me to get back to what matters.

for those of you wondering, a paradigm by definition is “one that serves as a pattern or model.”

a couple of these he lists are other people exist (it’s not logical to assume that life is about me) and nobody will listen to you, unless they know you like them.

here is the link to it in the itunes store, it’s a free talk that Donald did at Seattle Pacific University.

oh and here’s the pdf.

let me know what you think.

i’m in budapest, hungary at a story of the soul training. i’m learning lots of cool new things. more updates soon, i promise, for now it’s late here (9:28pm) i’m so stara mamka (grandma).

A friend and colleague, posted this yesterday on her newly formed blog and it encouraged me so much I wanted to share it with you. Carolyn Culbertson has been on staff with Crusade for many years and exudes with wisdom and love, she is the type of woman that I would love for God to form me into. She is real and firm, has a heart for prayer, and loves being around people who love the Lord. Yesterday she blogged about desert saints, a group of men and women who gave up a comfortable lifestyle because they weren’t satisfied, they wanted to know God deeper, in a way that the early church is described as and then she writes this:

I think that Stinters are modern desert saints. No, they are not perfect – neither were the desert saints! But they want something – they want to follow hard after Jesus. A comfortable, easy, distant acquaintance with Him is not enough for them. They want to do what he does, to go where he goes, to learn what He has to teach them, even though it costs them.And so they give up the things that make them comfortable – distractions, friends, safety. And they go into the “desert” of Merida, or Costa Rica or East Asia or Lithuania or Moscow or Croatia, and they struggle – to learn about themselves, to love others. And they have nothing to depend on but God.If you are a Stinter, take heart. You have, I am sure, struggles from the outside – and from the inside. God is doing more in you and through you than you can imagine. The desert saints (there were an estimated 30,000 men and women who went to the desert) became the impetus for a new generation of believers – including Athenasius, who fought for the truth of the deity of Christ, Jerome, who first translated the scripture into Latin, and Augustine, who became the foremost theologian of the church. And here we are today, partly because of their struggle.
Here is a quote from “The Sayings of the Desert Fathers”

“Poemen said about John the Short that he asked the Lord to take away his passions (i.e. strong emotional reactions and desires). So his heart was at rest, and he went to a hermit and said, “I find that I am at peace, with no war between flesh and spirit.’ The hermit said to him ‘Go and ask the Lord to stir up a new war in you. Fighting is good for the soul.’ When the conflict revived in him, he no longer prayed for it to be taken away, but said, ‘Lord, grant me strength to endure this fight.’

Men and women of God – Fight!

That’s what a girl said to me today after I shared the gospel with her. It just sounds so wrong and it is. Like taking Jesus out for a test drive, or some equivalent. Keep praying for her. Her name is Sandra. I gave her the little booklet - in English and in Slovak and told her to think it over and I’d call her in a week. I’ll keep you updated. Thanks for praying for her.