haiti

because my words fall so short. some pictures from the big picture.

{Lord, rebuild this place and these people with the knowledge of your steadfast love.}

for the birds

william cowper

A dear friend recently shared the lyrics to this hymn and I thought I'd share them with you as well. As I was reading over them I decided to do a little research about the author and learned that ol' William:

• wrote/co-wrote 66+ hymns over his lifetime along with numerous poems
• lived most of his days in Norfolk, England
• studied to be a lawyer but never practiced law
• suffered from manic depression
• used his literary influence to support the anti-slavery movement in England
• he was close friends with John Newton, author of "Amazing Grace"
• "God Moves in a Mysterious Way" is the last hymn he wrote

"God Moves in a Mysterious Way", written by William Cowper in 1774.

God moves in a mysterious way His wonders to perform; He plants His footsteps in the sea And rides upon the storm.

Deep in unfathomable mines Of never failing skill He treasures up His bright designs And works His sovereign will.

Ye fearful saints, fresh courage take; The clouds ye so much dread Are big with mercy and shall break In blessings on your head.

Judge not the Lord by feeble sense, But trust Him for His grace; Behind a frowning providence He hides a smiling face.

His purposes will ripen fast, Unfolding every hour; The bud may have a bitter taste, But sweet will be the flower.

Blind unbelief is sure to err And scan His work in vain; God is His own interpreter, And He will make it plain.

mornin'

This morning I got to watch the city come alive as the sun poured over the harbor and the buildings that cut into the skyline. My vision warred between the turning pages of a great book and the stillness of the city fading away. Love moments like these. Good morning Hong Kong.

[Let us know; let us press on to know the Lord; his going out is sure as the dawn; he will come to us as the showers, as the spring rains that water the earth.] Hosea 6:3

africa

As I was reading through a portion of Genesis this morning, I was reminded of how good the Lord is to orchestrate our lives so that we may live in humility before him. For each life this process of being humbled will orient hearts to their proper posture through different, unique circumstances. But the great reward is always the same for those who believe in Jesus; we gain Christ and an incomparable relationship with our Creator {Philippians 3:8-9, Psalm 25:9}. In light of this reminder, I have been able to recognize countless circumstances, and new depths of knowledge, that have enabled me to realign my attention to what matters most. One specific way that has enabled me to do this is joining alongside Operation World & The Church atBrook Hills in praying over the entire world. Each day there are specific places and requests listed that enable me to engage on behalf of places I may never see and hearts I may never meet. This week the prayer focus is Africa.

Regardless of my physical presence in a place, it is incredible to think about God moving in hearts all across this globe for his name's sake. It's a beautiful thing. May we be found in awe of how he is intricately weaving our stories together for one grand story of redemption.

here and there

Our friend john came to visit us for a couple weeks.

In the midst of getting acquainted with the city, we played some cards.

{and made grocery lists.}

Mary & Katie had a yoga/P90X showdown while we were waiting for our next little visitor at the airport.

Meet our newest visitor: Miss Beth. So glad to have her here.

Learning more about a unique community within the walls of a city park.

Micah, Benson & Furr have returned and it's time for some birthday celebrations.

first note of eternity

I apologize for the lack of posts over the past couple weeks. The holidays here were rich and celebrating in a different culture and context most certainly yielded a deeper appreciation for the season. I love that when people asked why we celebrate we found ourselves congregating at the heart of the gospel: Emmanuel God with us. After the advent candles were extinguished, we looked back at our ebenezers that have helped form the last year and received perspective for the the days unraveling into the new year. Part of perspective came on Sunday night at church as 4 dear brothers and sisters shared their testimony and what God is continuing to do in their lives. I love hearing people's stories; how the Lord pursues after hearts and how his creativity is expressed in the redemption of lives all over the globe. Despite their varying ages, backgrounds, & experiences, one thread was constant through each story: God's compassion is abundant and he is always, always faithful.

Yet this I call to mind and therefore I have hope:

Because of the Lord's great love we are not consumed, for his compassions never fail.

They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness.

I say to myself, "The Lord is my portion; therefore I will wait for him"

The Lord is good to those whose hope is in him, to the one who seeks him;

it is good to wait quietly for the salvation of the Lord.

Lamentations 3:21-26

After testimonies were shared, the band gathered on the stage and the music started out slow. Quietly my heart raced as I began to think about what the first note of eternity's song will sound like. What it will mean to be present in that moment, all the things that will have come to pass, and people from every nation gathered before the throne joining in to praise the One who is eternally faithful. It was one of those moments that I did not want to pass quickly. I wanted to just linger there for a while, to soak in the weight of eternity's song. But as my little brain reached it's capacity for recognition of the moment at hand I found myself joining in the chorus around me here in Hong Kong left with the joy granted by fresh perspective, eternal perspective, from the Lord. I pray that thought will continue to propel me into this year and through the rest of my days. What a privilege to be called a child of God and to share his great story of pursuit.

Oh how he loves us.

Here's to a new year.

So excited about what's ahead.