Baby Josiah

He's here! Finally!!! My beautiful nephew arrived at 1:02am on Sunday, July 4, 2010. He weighed in at 7 lbs, 8 oz and is 20 inches long. My sister-in-law did so great!!! After a full day of labor, she tolerated quite a few of us in her room until things began to get pretty intense.  She was able to rest a bit after receiving an epidural and woke up ready to deliver!  We are all so proud of her! 

My brother proved to be such a great coach!  It was fun to watch him love and support Liz in the hours leading to the birth of their first baby!  He is SUCH a proud papa!  It's going to be great watching him be a daddy!!!!!!!
Josiah is SOOO cute!!! We all got to take a quick turn holding him before calling it a night. He successfully managed to find his thumb a couple of times which was totally adorable. He is absolutely INCREDIBLE!!!!!! I'm so excited to be able to hold him at last!!!!

2010 Journey

It is hard to believe we are half way through the year already!!! It's been a crazy 6 months! After my trip to India was cancelled in January, I wrestled for a while as I continued to support Jubilee World Missions and participate in the Rock House of Prayer (RockHOP). I had spent a couple of months preparing to be gone, but since I was still home, I found myself asking "What now?" with no answer. There was still talk of me going to India to stay later in the year, but the earliest would have been July. In March, I was asked to prayerfully consider taking a position as Administrator for Jubilee World Missions. I would be doing pretty much what I've done for a few years now, but with a greater commitment which seemed to cancel the possibility of me going for an extended time in India. After much prayer and godly counsel, as hard as it was to give up (at least for a season) the dream of staying on the mission field, I accepted the position as I believed that it was what God was calling me to do at that time. Much to my surprise, God gave me both, the job and the dream! As a part of Jubilee, I will be involved in continued mission work in several areas of ministry such as Haiti and Honduras through short term trips as well as extended time in India!!!

I will be a part of a small team heading to Honduras the beginning of August for one week. We will spend the week doing a prayer room and a conference. It has been 3 years since my last trip to Honduras and I am really excited about returning. About a month after I return, I will be heading to India for 3 months. I will be teaching English, loving on kids in the Children's Home and providing administrative support to the pastor and the various ministries of New Hope Ministries. I will be gone Monday, August 9 - Monday, August 16 in Honduras and Monday, September 13 - Thursday, December 16 in India. I would greatly appreciate your prayers for me throughout the rest of the year as I live my dream! If you would like to contribute to one of my trips or partner with me through monthly donations, please post a comment requesting more information.

Thank you so much!
Blessings,
Carol

Definition of love

"What does love look like is the question I've been pondering?  What does love look like?  What does love look like is the question I've been asking of You?...He had arms wide open, a heart exposed."  - Misty Edwards

I heard the above lyrics during a particularly difficult time in one of my relationships where I realized I had pulled my heart away in an effort to protect myself.  The picture this song painted of Jesus as love's definition showed me that I had to stop withdrawing when I was hurt.  Instead, I have to forgive quickly and stay open and vulnerable.  I haven't figured out how to do this yet, but I believe staying focused on His open heart towards me is the first step to living a transparent life!  The idea scares me, but I really want to be like Jesus and He lived a selflessly vulnerable life!!! 

"Just knowing that You love me is enough to keep me here!  Just hearing those words is enough to satisfy!  Won't You let me love You more?  This is all that I desire!!!" - Misty Edwards

Redirection

In the prayer room 5 months ago, I got a picture of the way I have lived my life. When you walk normally, you take a step, lift your back foot and let your leg swing forward for the next step. But I seem to walk through life one step at a time. I tend to anchor my back foot until I can see where the next step is to land. I felt like God was telling me I need to follow through on each step, allowing my leg to swing forward even though I may not see where it is supposed to end up. I was reminded of this picture in January when I found myself stuck yet again after the trip to India was cancelled. I froze in place instead of continuing to move forward! I realized He was calling me to trust Him to direct my steps in the forward motion instead of getting stuck waiting for the next move to be made clear! So I tried to move forward again, continuing to do what I had been doing as I waited for the plans on my next India trip to be finalized. Then two weeks ago, the nudging began as I was offered a new opportunity. My initial response was resistance to this because I was focused on India. But God showed me that in trusting Him to direct me as I continued to move forward, I had to allow Him to redirect me as I go. I had not asked if I was supposed to go to India later this year to stay several months, I just assumed I was and began planning on it. As I prayed through this new opportunity as well my return to India, I began to realize that this was the course correction He was preparing me for through this picture of walking. Therefore, I accepted the offer to officially work for Jubilee World Missions. I have been providing administrative support to this ministry for several years on a volunteer basis, but am coming on board in a more permanent and defined role. I am excited about what God has in store for me as I follow Him to continue to serve this missions ministry! We can make our plans, but the LORD determines our steps. Proverbs 16:9

Spring

Spring has arrived and I have been enjoying it!  I went to visit friends in the country during Spring Break and loved the incredible display of flowers in the open fields all around.  This weekend, I got to go to the Wildflower Center with my family which was a lot of fun.  Most of the ladies in our family went to a little town this weekend for an antique show and it was a beautiful drive down there with the flowers along the side of the road!  Here are some of my favorite pictures from this beautiful season!!!

Sutherland Springs, TX

March 17, 2010

From the Wildflower Center

Friday, April 2, 2010

Round Top, TX

Saturday, April 3, 2010

Significance

I've heard a lot about how you need to do everything for the Lord, to bring Him honor and glory, but somewhere in my thinking, I still believed that there were some tasks/jobs that were more honorable and glorified.  In the Supernatural Ways of Royalty, the author tells a story of teaching a class where he is talking about finding the greatness in people.  A challenge was issued that it is God who is great which should be our focus instead of looking for greatness in people.  The example he used in response really changed the way I think.  He said there was a painting hanging on the wall that he told the one questioning him to imagine he had painted.  The author then proceeded to yell about how bad the painting was.  When he had finished his outburst against the painting, he turned back to the man and asked him if what had just been spoken about the painting would have honored and glorified him as the painter.  When the guy said no, the response given was that God is like the painter in our lives and demeaning/degrading ourselves or others does not honor or glorify Him.  Humility is not about putting ourselves down, but seeing ourselves as God sees us.  Recognizing that there is greatness in us because God Himself has made us great!  This made me realize that there are not activities that are more significant than others.  No matter if I am picking up trash, completing paperwork, or teaching in another country, the significance comes from the fact that I do it as one created by God in order to love and serve Him.  If my heart is right, everything I do is significant as it honors and glorifies the Lord.  Even if no one sees it!  Even if others consider it to be unimportant.  Galatians 5:6 The only thing that counts is faith expressing itself through love!!!

The Waiting Room

"He who began a good work will be faithful to complete it...You will complete it...I’m here in the waiting room, here in the waiting room, I’m here in the waiting room of unanswered prayer! Prayer, prayer, prayer’s all I’ve got here! Time, time, time seems to haunt me! Time, time, somehow it mocks me!...It’s just a matter of time! You and I both know that You are God and You could get me out of here! But I’m still stuck here in the waiting room of unanswered prayer!...You and I both know You hold the answer. You and I both know You could get me out of here with just one word...You don’t seem to be in the same hurry that I’m in, oh God.  Days are turning into weeks, the weeks are turning into months and the months are turning into years!  Oh my God, it’s been a decade and I’m still here, here in the waiting room, I’m still in the waiting room of unanswered prayer!!!...Patience has never been a virtue of mine. I’ve never really liked waiting and waiting is my profession here in the waiting room!  I’m still in the waiting room of unanswered prayer!!! But You make all things beautiful! You make all things beautiful! You make all things beautiful just in time! It’s just a matter of time, time, time!" - Misty Edwards 2/27/10

Listening to prayer room archives, I just stopped as Misty sang the above.  I feel like I've been in the "waiting room" for such a long time!  This was a great reminder that God's timing is perfect and I need to be patient in the waiting!!!  God's purpose in the waiting is to draw me closer to Him, for me to know Him more and become more like Him.  But if I focus on getting out of the waiting room instead of what God is doing here, I miss the point and become discontent!  I want to wait patiently and rest in His perfect timing instead of trying to figure it out on my own!  Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding!  In all your ways acknowledge Him and He will keep your paths straight!!!  Proverbs 3:5-6