waiting

"There is a love that's expressed in waiting. There is a trust expressed in waiting.

Love doesn't always know what's coming around the corner; love doesn't always know exactly why this particular thing is happening, but love trusts, love is patient to wait."

.David Platt

longing to live a visionary life

About a week ago I was on a plane somewhere in between Newark and Hong Kong. And today I found myself on a ferry crossing the Hong Kong harbor:

This first week couldn't have been completed on a better note than attending Island ECC this evening. Brett did a great job of directing us back towards the truth that we need vision and guidelines in and over our lives. We all long for them. As children, that need showed up in not-so-subtle temper tantrums and over time has presented itself as the incessant repetition of the question, "Why?". During the first part of the message my brain reeled back through classes at Auburn when we learned the importance of teaching children boundaries early and the benefits it has for the family over time. In pure form, guidelines are made with our best interest at heart. They are not meant to be experienced as something that restricts us from experiencing life, but as direction for us to experience true life and a Love we don't deserve. The message tonight wrapped around what it means to live a visionary life, based on Micah 6:8. This particular verse talks about three things that the Lord requires of us; to do justice, to love kindness, and to walk humbly with our God. The end of the teaching did not lead us to merely stare at the surface of those three charges. But to look deeper into what living those things out in our lives really means. A visionary life is one that is counter-cultural. A visionary life does not function out of guilt, but rather from a heart changed by grace. A visionary life is evidenced by a response to injustice. Our response can not merely be a membership to a facebook group about ending world hunger, but bringing light to the darkness that exists within our eyesight. Our sensitivity to these things is felt in the condition of our hearts and our response to our environment. A visionary life is responding humbly to an invitation extended to us by the Almighty. The God who spoke creation into being has invited us to walk alongside him. My little brain can not fully understand the weight of the invitation. And I must confess that I do not daily live in recognition of that precious invitation but I long for it. I pray that we come to recognize this gift more with each day we're given.

new song

we have seen and heard and experienced so much this week and i have honestly loved being submerged into the city. but this morning i was so thankful to wake up and not have an agenda for the day. the transition can be tiring, so having a day to get little things done and read and drink a cup of coffee slowly has been refreshing already. as i sit and think about the people in this city i am just humbled to be a tiny part in the Lord awakening Hong Kong to the glory of his name. and as new life awakens hearts, i am anxious to hear a new song rise over this city.

Oh sing to the Lord a new song;

sing to the Lord, all the earth!

Sing to the Lord, bless his name;

tell of his salvation from day to day.

Declare his glory among the nations,

his marvelous works among all the peoples!

.psalm 96: 1-3

He is already doing great things here, and the continuation of that is going to be incredible.

familiar thoughts in unfamiliar walls

these were taped to my door frame in auburn and have relocated around the world with me.

what saying yes means

around 7:45 p.m., the pilot's muffled voice came rushing through the speakers asking us to buckle our seat belts and prepare for landing. all i could think was, "am i really here?". but before the question even had time to repeat itself over in my head, this familiar stirring in my soul welled up all over again. my mind began to race through

moments of assurance and confirmation over the last 8 months. i think the first little reality check was seeing the first sign in view as we stepped into the terminal which read, "welcome to hong kong". we were greeted by the most amazing team on the planet. and of course they were accompanied by bright yellow posters.

it's here, and i'm sustained by peace that passes all understanding.

"He who goes out weeping, carrying seed to sow, will return with songs of joy,

carrying sheaves with him"

.psalm 126:6

before venturing out into the city, Katie read from a book that has a little encouragement for each day of the year. today's (august 25th) could not have been more perfect. it was titled "what saying yes means" and the verse above was the verse for the day. God has been so evident in the details of this journey for our team individually and collectively; and this passage today was just another tangible example of how intimately involved he is in our everyday. my first day here in hk was no exception. we were encouraged by the stories of a local professor and student; learned how to use our octopus card on the mtr & bus; given incredible insight by a new friend named Sam; exposed to the bustling streets of mong kok; enjoyed pizza at new town plaza; and laughed alongside great friends. i absolutely love it here and as the process of adjusting to living life on the other side of the world has started, i am learning what it means to lean fully into his strength and provision.

here is my first day in hk, snapshot form:

[matt, april, jason, scott, cat, katie, maik: thank you for all you have done/are doing to make this transition easier. thank you for teaching me new things and planning ahead for me. thank you for praying for me. thank you for loving me well. i'm honored to serve alongside you]

i love ya tomorrow

it's finally here. my family is scurring around the house packing bags to go to atlanta and i snuck away to write for just a second. i am so excited that i start my journey to hong kong tomorrow! as difficult as it is sometimes to say goodbye to family and friends and familiarity, i am convinced it is worth it. this time of preparation has been so rich and i look forward for what the Lord has in store in the very near future. for those of you who have walked along side me in this journey through prayer, tears, financial support, laughter, and wisdom: thank you. you will never know how much God has used each word of encouragement and wisdom you've shared. i appreciate you and look forward to telling you about hong kong. may you see Him in the details today.

source

The precepts of the Lord are right, rejoicing the heart;

The commandment of the Lord is pure, enlightening the eyes.

Psalm 19:8

pancakes

every sunday morning, mom gets up early and makes pancakes. and every sunday we each eat our pancakes in the same peculiar order. i usually wake up before zach and by the time i get to the kitchen mom is nibbling on the first pancake that she made. somehow the first one is "just not right", so she takes care of it so none of us would have to suffer through it. i grab the second pancake off the stove and and eat around the edges while drinking a cup of coffee from our dysfunctional coffee maker. zach sits in the living room floor with the red birthday plate piled with two or three pancakes on top of one another and swirls hot syrup over the top. as predictable as we all may be on sunday morning around mom's house, i am going to miss our little routine. growing up, zach and i have always seemed to end up on the living room floor eating our meals. whether we were parked behind tv trays eating cheerios or leaned against the ottoman eating chips & salsa for dinner- we end up seated side by side talking through or about our day. this afternoon my sweet brother made me lunch and as i sat next to him i realized it will be one of the last times we get to sit in our living room and share a meal together. i have loved those moments, on our best and worst days we can come together and walk through life alongside one another.

things are a'changin'

trace and mike tie the knot in 51 days last bible study with the girls

alum

little bro gets his ears lowered

helmet is a little looser now, but ready for NY.

all aboard

so i realize the phrase "all aboard" is usually associated with trains, but i think we should bring it to the airport scene. it sounds so much more adventurous than "will passengers in group 3 please approach the lady who will scan your ticket and not smile at you". i would love to hear that the morning of august 23rd as i'm boarding a plane with a one-way ticket to hong kong. it is so neat to have an actual date and time to be boarding. it's not a far off hope, it's not just an idea, it's a real plane ticket. for those of you who have been praying alongside me: thank you, a million times over, thank you. the Lord has made himself so tangible through your encouraging words and cheerful giving. i'm honored to share this journey with you. as my days left in huntsville approach being single digits, i'm trying to soak in what reality will look like very soon and enjoy each day.

"crazy Love" and the truth that's changing me

This is how we know what love is: Jesus Christ laid down his life for us. And we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers. If anyone has material possessions and sees his brother in need but has no pity on him, how can the love of God be in him? Dear children, let us not love with words or tongue but with actions and in truth.

1 John 3:16-18

Of this truth Francis Chan says: "We are loaded down with too many good things, more than we could ever need, while others are desperate for a small loaf. The good things we cling to are more than money; we hoard our resources, our gifts, our time, our families, our friends. As we begin to practice regular giving, we see how ludicrous it is to hold on to the abundance God has given us and merely repeat the words thank you."

I pray that our generation will be marked as a people who love in actions and in truth. That we will give not out of obligation or guilt for what we have, but out of a heart that understands what it means to "love our neighbor as yourself". I confess that my life does not always reflect this command, but I long for it to. The time for giving is now. The need is evident. What will our response be?

last day cupcakes

• grabbed coffee from Panera
• sent mailouts
• got to chat with one of my heroes: Ken Ladner
• Charlotte brought me a cupcake (pictured below)
• worked on my senior project
• daydreamed about Hong Kong
• soaked in one last afternoon in my office (aka: a booth in the cafe)
• sat in on a leadership meeting
• was reminded of the overwhelming love of my Father

i'm currently sitting in an auburn coffee shop.

i just picked up my cap and gown and i'm finding it hard to believe i'm actually going to graduate monday. it's been an incredible four years but i know that i'm moving forward in sync with the Lord's timing. these moments are precious to me. and as the next adventure approaches my heart seems to beat faster with even the utterance of hong kong.