{Days}

Many friends have been wondering what our days are like here so I thought I'd sum it up for y'all.

Wake up, early breakfast, group reflection time (we are going through the book of Acts together), 1 or 2 morning talks, lunch, 1 or 2 afternoon talks, free time before dinner and after 6 we are usually done with things.

It doesn't sound like a lot but our talks range from biblical doctrine, to evangelism training, to in-depth bible study, to managing finances, to dealing with transition, grief, culture shock, conflict and the myriad of diseases that are prevalent where many of my co-workers will be going. On top of that we spend time with our teams focusing on language learning, cultural practices, and applying for visas. We also spend a lot of time in prayer. I have been more challenged in my prayer life in the past 4 weeks than I can ever remember. We spend time daily praying for our team-members in the places we are moving, our fellow individuals and families at training, the people whom we are going to live amongst, the government officials of those countries, our friends and families back home, and the churches that have commissioned us. This emphasis and application of prayer is changing the way that I look at the world. By recognizing the people I'm sent out from, I am humbled by the offerings given that enable me to move out and be obedient to this calling. In praying for the city and people I'm moving to be amongst, I realize that all of my best efforts are for nothing if it is without the Holy Spirit. God has promised that he will call all the nations to his name, but we are all privileged that he allows us and wants us to be his hands and feet on the earth. wow.

In addition to all of that, I spend time playing volleyball, running, playing phase 10 and apples to apples and occasionally doing pilates workout videos that leave me sore for days. The conversations with my new friends and family are sweet and I've come to have a loving community around me here helping me sidestep into life abroad. I sit up late with my quad-mates telling stories, occasionally we go into town to see a movie or eat mexican food or make a Wal-Mart run, but it is always so so fun. These people are the BEST type of ridiculous!

Best,

mgw

{RVA}

Friends-

I'm into week 4 of training in Virginia. I'm here along with many other families and singles for 8 weeks of training and fellowship before heading out overseas. There are about 200 of us here, including everywhere from bitty babies to 60 somethings. We are from different hometowns, decades, socio-economic statuses and personality types. Some are here with big families of 5 children, some with their spouse, some with 1 child and some of us are here single.

In all of these differences though, we have the overarching unifying passion of love for our Lord. This is a love that has been stretched much deeper than a walk down the church aisle, a decision through prayer with a sunday school teacher or even a street side profession of faith in the midst of a turbulent college lifestyle. God has captured each of our hearts and grown in us a love for a people group or nation and in obedience to that call, we go.

So I intend to post here updates from training and thoughts and concerns about the great unknown of Paris, with the intent that God's faithfulness would be written over it all. I'm self aware enough to admit that my life is not glamorous enough or adventurous enough to merit my own space on the internet but I see this as an opportunity to report back on the Lord's work in and through me here. So it's only appropriate that I thank you all who've invested and loved on me these past 22 (and some change) years. I have seen the love of Christ radiated through your affections, your challenge and your encouragement and I'm privileged to be sent out from such a community.

Blessings

mgw

1 Kings 8:54-61

Salut,

I've conveniently forgotten about my blog over the past 9 months. It could be from a general lack of enthusiasm to remember my password, from my dissatisfaction from the appearance of my site or from my inability to journal consistently in my own time with the Lord let alone craft something up to post. I have resolved, however, to use this as an outlet to write as an overflow in worship.

Approximately 29 days ago I began a journey to dig into the Bible and read it cover to cover with my best and dearest friend, Rachael. Anticipating big changes in the coming months in our lives (she is getting married (07072012) and I am moving to Paris in the Fall to pursue short term missions) we were both compelled to accept the challenge of a 90 day Bible reading plan. I have always been mesmerized by the Bible in it's entirety, but all too often I push of my interest in a family-line or a Jewish tradition or an OT reference in Paul's letters with the expectancy that it will be mentioned and explored in some sermon or blog post or in conversation with friends. Additionally, I have lacked the obedience to discipline myself in spending quality quantities of time meeting the Lord through Scripture. The discipline I was challenged to learn in the Fall needed to be pushed and I needed to learn to hunger for Truth and to be wrapped up in God's marvelous and mysterious plan, from the beginning, and to push through finding the meaning and relevancy for my life.

Since April 1 I have been overwhelmed by YHWH's wrath and mercy, his providence and his distance, but ultimately by his withstanding and radiating Glory as evidenced through Scripture and I am so excited to press on.

In reading in 1 Kings 8 tonight, I was struck by a particular passage.

(Background note: King Soloman had been given the task of building a permanent dwelling place for the Lord to replace the tabernacle of the wilderness. So he had it built, in 7 years, and is dedicating it before the House of Israel (HoI in my shorthand journalling!))

1 Kings 8:54-61

"Now as Soloman finished offering all this prayer and plea to the Lord, he arose from before the altar of the Lord, where he had knelt with hands outstretched toward heaven. And he stood and blessed all the assembly of Israel with a loud voice, saying

'Blessed be the Lord who has given rest to his people Israel, according to all that he promised. Not one word has failed of all his good promise, which he spoke by Moses to his servant. The Lord our God be with us, as he was with our fathers, May he not leave us or forsake us, that he may incline our hearts to him, to walk in all his ways and to keep his commandments and statutes, and his rules, which he commanded our fathers. Let these words of mine, with which I have pleaded before the Lord, be near to the Lord our God day and night, and may he maintain the cause of his servant and the cause of his people Israel as each day requires that all the peoples of the earth may know that the Lord is God; there is no other. Let you hearts therefore by wholly true to the Lord our God, walking in his statues and keeping his commandments, as at this day."

Now, this isn't the first prayer that has struck me in my chronological reading of the Bible, but I especially love this one. (I bolded some phrases that struck me)

"that he may incline our hearts to him"- acknowledging that it is the Spirit that reigns in our hearts
"I have pleaded before the Lord"- a mighty King humbling himself before YHWH
"may he maintain the cause of his servant and the cause of his people as each day requires"- it is God who maintains and sustains our work

We must have servant hearts, but it is God who sustains and validates our work. He inclines our hearts and his love compels us. We plea before the Lord for his will to be done and pray that we walk boldly and worthily with him that all peoples of the earth may know that he is God.

With an inclined heart,
mw