good gifts

Our precious week with Aunt Sharon was matched by Matt and Sofie's precious last week in class...Matt can hardly talk about his students without getting choked up. The challenges, persecution, violence and hardships that are a part of their daily lives and ministries are overwhelming, and their joy in the middle was more so.  That has touched Matt and Sofie for good, forever. 

Sharon extended her trip an extra day so that I could join one day of Elisa's bachelorette trip at the beach. This is the way Sharon is. Not just making it possible for my good, but doing a lot of good with Nora and Ben and Lily and Emma so that I could, and they didn't feel it. 

While Matt and Sofie headed home, I drove 6 hours to the beach, had 24 beautiful hours with a lotta good women, and when they got home I headed back and she headed to the airport :)

I listened to a lot of worship and the entirety of Comer's "The Ruthless Elimination of Hurry" on the way there and back, and between that a whole day in His creation with dear women and some priceless solitude, I feel ten times free-er.  A lot of ways of living and thinking just kind of join us little by little, and taking a ruthless step back and realizing, "This isn't how I want to be doing it" and setting out on a better course -- a more "Christ apprenticeship" course, is so freeing.

If you haven't read it, dooooo.  If you want to hear about Matt's trip, he couldn't help but preach it today...I was so blessed by that. https://www.facebook.com/wellspringms/videos/1121355200205866

One of my shifts is getting my time off FB and IG and back into writing, here, which is what I love and how God meets me and helps me process.  It is less instant, less hurried, and more focused....and if I MISS writing, and it brings me joy and edifies my faith...why aren't I?

Grateful for these good gifts....