This has been itching to get out!

So, early October I got to attend Come to the Fire...boy have I got a ton of notes I've been processing to share with ya'll!  It was so great to be able to be in Columbus with some many women from home, but I have to give a special shout out to Annie Croft and her sweet Mama, Ginny Suderman.  I spent most of my  "free time" with them.  Also, "HEEEEY!" goes out to the whole Downs gang, so good to see you and meet  sweet Caleb.  Last, but not least, the Seamans...I miss you and love you and appreciate all your supportive listening and kind words.  Girls, you rock!

Ok, on to the main course...
Have you ever gotten to hear Beth Coppedge speak?  She is so cute and full of great teaching.  I ate it up. I seriously want to be like her.  She was so spunky and also so, so obviously in love with my Jesus.  She was 100% unashamed...it challenged me and makes me even today think about the opportunities I may have to be Jesus to someone or to tell them how sweet He is!

This is Beth...from my phone, not the best. 

I came away with a new slogan that I can't let go of:  "Please, offend me, tell me all the things that make you fired up, the things in your life that compel you to live the way you do...I hope you have the opportunity to offend me, so that I may also be given the chance to offend you, and maybe in so doing we will both learn and be changed forever."  This is not what she said, it's what I took away from one particular part of her talk that night.  To sum it up, she said a college friend had told her "Beth, you've got to stop talking about Jesus All. The. Time.  You're making people uncomfortable."  Well, as many of us would, she took that advice to heart and in a particular conversation she did not take the chance she would have normally taken to tell new friends about Jesus because she was worried about offending them, making them uncomfortable.  That night, she and the same friend were talking and that SAME chickie who told her she was talking too much said, "Beth, how come you didn't tell them about Jesus?  I was waiting for you to do it, or I would have said something."  You can't please everyone, I've decided that my priority is Jesus and if my agenda to have you know and love Him too makes you uncomfortable, know that some things you are outspoken about may make me uncomfortable too...I'll let you speak, I'll even learn from you I'm sure...I want to be open to the ache of your heart as well...but please, give me a chance to be open to mine!

That was the biggest nugget, if you read no more, you'll be better off in my mind for having read that message alone, however...I got way more than just that.  Here are a few other great thoughts I jotted down.  They may make sence, they may only make sence to me who heard the context...who knows. :)

October 1st

• When God says loose your life, He means it.  We are missing His heart!
• We must be living out these commands: Love your neighbor, the widow, the orphan.  
• GET RADICAL!
• If the gospel is truth and for EVERYONE, YOU must be committed to be uncomfortable for Him.  
• Set your priorities upon His priorities, not your or the "American Dream" let your rest go...RADICAL.

October 2nd

Are you trusting God with His plan?  Jesus wants to take us out of ourselves and make us other oriented...to fill us with agape love.  Blessed are those who are not offended in Him.  Many times we don't take up our toll or the burden of the cross because we don't want to be offended for the Lord.  If you want to find out who you really are, life in His presence.  He can come into the desire of our hearts, he can purify us with His blood.  We don't have to know the guilt, or love our burden of sin.  God wants to get our affections.  Romans 12:3-6, transform yourself, talk to God.  2 Cor "Behold I make all things new."  When circumstances are difficult we know this is not all there is.  When we notice something that is done in love that fragrance lingers with us...it's important to notice and be noticed.  We are not just talkers, but love GIVERS.  If the things of God make you uncomfortable, just go back to the things of hell, where you are comfortable.

Oct 2nd Evening

• If God answers your prayer how will it bring glory to Him?
• Jesus, coffee and sinners will be allowed in the sanctuary at whatever church Nick and I plant for Him.
• Boldness is what changes lives.  Who ever met Jesus from someone who kept quiet, who chose laziness over action?
• What good is it to have a changed heart if id didn't cause a changed life or influence others for change as well?
• May we let every encounter be one that God can use us...never an inconvienance.
• If we have really died to our God we will do more than talk.  
• We will not just want God because He performs the way we want Him to.  Not because we are being made happy or our life is easy, but because we love him so much and can't help but spill out His goodness.  
• We are not to be religious, we are meant to be so in love we are unable to restrain or refrain from being Jesus.  
• We are works in progress.  
• If we are offensive in sharing Jesus, so be it.
• ...I beg of you, offend me by that which has changed you so I may have the opportunity to offend you by that which consumes me.
• We MUST have more on our hearts than ourselves. 

So good.

Awe, Beth, you are just simply toooo adorable!

Opening new doors

I've been itching to get back to blogging. Probably because I subscribe to so many friends' blogs and I just want to write as great as they do. The everyday seems like such a fun adventure. Not that I'm ever going to be as great a writer, but I can try right? For instance check out Just a bump in the road for my friends trip with cancer. I commend her. Or, I love to check in on The Case Family and The Meyers Family. These are talented women, let me tell you. I'll post some more links later...

For now, lets get on to talking about MEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE.
Nick and I have left First Church, it was a hard decision, but as he puts it "Sometimes the right decision isn't always the easy one." We know that is what God wanted of us, so we followed. Now, if only He could be so direct with what to do next. For now, we are feeling lead to "fast" (oh, my friend April has a great blog and is fasting now too, check her out.) not just food, though we've cut that back to a minimal level...well, minimal for us...er, me? Pretty much no TV. (We have allowed a couple of movies with friends after a long evening of fellowship with none.) LOTS of prayer. We have found that we don't pray nearly enough TOGETHER...this has been so good and intimate. I love it. It's bringing us closer to each other and God. Crazy how that works, we aren't having a conversation with each other or anything, I guess it must just be the vulnerability of letting someone in on your prayer life everyday. It's great, regardless. Last, we've been reading a book by Matthew Barnett called "The Cause Within You"...on chapter 5, recommend it so far.

We are also making some future plans...we feel like God is asking us to start a church. PRAY...we are still trying to seek HIS will on Nazarene or Non-denominational) If you are in the Nazarene church...why? If you were and left, why? If you have thought of leaving and stayed, why? If you have left and went elsewhere, what did you find? What keeps you where you are either way? We are so curious about how other people relate to these questions. E-mail me or send me a note on facebook.

In other news...

I AM STARTING MY MASTERS!

I'd really like to get an MSW or something in the Education field. Maybe later. For now, I'm getting an MBA. I don't really know that I want or need an MBA, but Verizon is paying for it (FREE is for me!) and it will get me to higher career levels in life, so why not? Plus, I love school. I'm up for the challenge these days and Nick will be working later, so it will give me something to do. Bring it on!

This is such a hodge podge of what nots kind of post, I'm just getting back in the saddle, cut me a little slack.

I do want to add that I'm thankful for our friends who have offered "Godly Counsel" to us during this time of searching. It means so much to us that you are willing to invest in us in intimate ways in order to push us closer to Jesus. THANK YOU! I also want to say that I appreciate having a Husband that is willing to do the hard searching that is taking place in our lives, and willing to be a leader in our home even though we aren't sure where we are going to end up. He's willing to keep walking toward The Light and that makes me feel a million percent loved. We aren't doing life the way a church says to or that our culture may, or any other "outside" force for that matter, we're soaking in Jesus and going The Way...whatever that may be, I'm excited to be on this journey!

I'm thankful for Eric and Shelly being blessed with Marlee, and I'm thankful that Ahminda and I got to laugh some pretty good belly laughs tonight. I'm excited for my friends Kati and Dave on their engagement and Liz an Vik and Brooke and Frank (tis the season, huh?) I'm proud of my Mom. She's had a rough year, but she's 90 plus days clean and seems happier than she has been in a very long time. Way to go, woman! I'm also proud of my Sister, Michelle and her Husband, Mark...they have been great encouragement in these last few hard weeks of ours and our searching. I like and appreciate that.
I'm feeling very blessed by my job with Verizon, they treat us so well and I LOVE my co-workers (for real, love...not just love seeing them at work). My new boss is such a smarty-pants and is making my work so much less stressful with all his tips, can you complain about that? NO. Ugh...I seriously could go on and on, but I understand that reading about all my what not is probably only exciting for a finite timeframe, so...until next time...

UPDATE

(Sigh...) (Drumroll...) FINALLY, I can update everyone on where Nick and I are and what we are doing! We've got big stuff going on here folks, BIG.
First off, lets talk about summer. We have enjoyed several camps this summer and are now in the first week of our internship at PFN in Portsmouth, OH. NEI was good to us with both teen services during campmeeting AND Sr. High camp. We had a blast and were able to see some college friends, Seth and Kindra (Owens) Baron and their super cute kids. NEI does a survey of the campers experiance...out of 160 campers 149 reported that they re-newed their committment to Christ and are seeking to grow deeper! 9 teens accepted Christ for the first time and we even had a MIRACLE! There was a camper who since birth had a vision problem. He could only ever see out of one eye at any time (never both together) and also had color blindness of different kinds in each eye. He prayed for God's joy one evening and MIRACLE...he reported that after asking for JOY, he recieved sight as well. He can now see out of both eyes at the same time and has perreferial vision as well as no more color blindness. Can I get a Praiselujah?! We had fun times at NEI. On a side note...Cowabunga burgers at Ivanhoes...SO GOOD, SUPER HUGE...never again will I attempt to eat the WHOLE THING!
WI camp was a total blast and allowed us to not only help a young man find Jesus for the first time, but also to teach many teens HOW to use their bible. We found this to be a very successful morning session time and had a ton of great feedback. Asside from those great God things, we were able to meet some new, lifelong friends...THE OLIVETIANS, and also had fun with Spoons for Forks, another ONU group (Improv Comedy...awesome, have them to your church.)

A mosaic of thankful.

I just have to be thankful. It's been about a year since Nick and I got on the road full time...a little over a year ago, and maybe almost 2 now since we put in some tough work on our at the time crumbling marriage. My heart finally feels like I've come full circle. That all the broken spots aren't just mended, they are really healed. I was just driving tonight and I was overjoyed to feel so complete.
I spent some time with an old friend tonight and he said "You really seem like you guys are in a great place." I told him that we are and went on to say that my marriage just feels safe...comfortable. Then I thought, "like home." We've moved a lot and had MUCH transition, but I'm glad to feel so at peace that I'm home wherever we are together. I can't imagine life being any different. I was also talking about being on the road and in "full time" ministry and I said "It's so awesome to see people be filled with hope right before your eyes." You know, we see so many people who have no hope at all come to Jesus and though their situation doesn't automatically change, they do. Their posture, their countenance, everything. I told him I'm so blessed to be able to be a part of that...and I'd be poor any day to do it.
I am just beyond thankful that we can make a mess of our life...even something that is really good and God can take the things we shatter and turn them into the most beautiful mosaic to shine through. I'm thankful that I was able to be broken, that our marriage was able to be strengthened through my brokenness and that more than anything we are on the other side! I get butterflies again just thinking about the fact that I get to see Nick in one day after not having seen him for a week. I treasured all week that last kiss in the driveway before I left. I'm simply a lucky, lucky woman. Not because life has handed me everything easy, but because I serve a God who takes my burdens and makes them light if I'm willing to give them over to Him (sometimes much easier said than done). I'd love to write a post about some of the things I've learned through the hard work of letting God work, but since it IS 3:00am I'll save that for another time. For now, I'm gonna leave it at that.

Let the River Flow

So, we were at a revival where they played that song every night and one night this came to me. I was thinking about revival and how this song fits in.
Lord,
with this river bed I've been given, may YOUR spirit flow. May I not be dry...lacking YOUR zeal, but may I be a current strong in movement with rapids plenty. A magnetic force drawing the thirsty to You. Give me life and let me be overflowing with your spirit.
Lord, let the river flow.
Let there be enough to flow...to Overflow! Oh, Lord, be a rushing current so strong Your lead is all I can follow.
Lord, let the river flow.
Let the river FLOOD, Lord, let the river FLOOD!
May I glorify you with all that I am. May I be a river full of life, ever willing to move closer to you, may I never become a stagnant pool full of toxified water, may I not sit idle and look pretty, but smell putrid.
Lord, let your river flow in me.
Bring vibrance and zestful excitement.
Let Your river flow.
Lord, let it be so.
3/1/2010
John 7:37-38

Time to get back to bloggin'

So, I've decided that blogging is good for the soul and good for accountability. I'll be doing more of it again. :) I've spent the past two days making my page something I would want to look at (and hopefully something you will want to check out as well.) I'll post updates on what Nick and I are up to and possibly funny stories that happen in our travels along with my usual musings on where I'm at, what I'm thinking and whatever else happens to float my boat. I'll also post pictures, or sample pictures that will lead to my website, mindymay.com where I usually post my photography stuff. I have to say, I'm excited about the thought of getting back to a disciplined blog life...

it really is time to get back to bloggin' and it really is good for the soul.

686 days...and counting!

I looked at our old wedding page today. I like to do that from time to time. Partly because I wonder if the web host ever delets those things...guess not. It's funny...it keeps track of how long you've been married. The total today is 686 days. Funny. It'll be two years in Feb. and in so many ways it doesn't seem like that long at all, in other ways it seems like it's been far longer. We have learned so much about each other. Nick knows when I'm getting a little rowdypants in my tone and often will stop talking to me until I calm it on down as he does not prefer to fight. I on the other hand could continue in an all out brawl until the matter is settled. Nick could eat until the cows come home and birth fields and fields of calfs. I on the other hand am more of a "dabbler"...eat all day and I get so frustrated with him sometimes when he doesn't have a good stopping place. He keeps my shopping under control and I keep his ideas in reality. We both have learned to budget better, to love better, and to laugh more. I'm excited to celebrate year number two. It's been so much nicer than year number one. LOL! We just know each other better and have gotten through all that change junk that makes year one so hard. We have a lot of big plans for our future and are both growing in the same direction.

...686 days. Not all blissful, but all purposeful and covered in the plan of Christ that got us together in the first place. I look forward to 68 years...