Heaviness Lifted

Me and Claybird...eating out...what else would we be doing? We were there with his sweet parents!
Me and Rebekah...had a great time with her sweet family...playing dutch blitz of course...also got to spend some QT time with my good friend Kelly...who I didn't get a picture with :O(
Me, Kerri, and Rebecca...at my favorite place...chik fi la!  It was so sweet for these girls to meet with me and pray over me.
Me and my Dad and chew bear. I was able to see him for a few hours and it was great....except I was still getting over the flu and slept some of the time he was home! :O(
Me and the kids...my niece and nephews at Christmas!

Hello sweet friends.  Well its been a couple of weeks since I have written to you.  I was blessed to go home to the States for a short visit over the holidays. It was great to see family and friends...and to get things you take for granted like eye drops!  I had a rough beginning to my trip as I was diagnosed with the Flu 2 days prior to leaving for my journey.  During my travel back home...our flight was delayed due to bad weather...we had to make a pit stop in Maine for refueling...I missed my connecting flight and had to spend the night in Philly...and then finally made it home after two days of travel (with the flu) to my sweet Mama.  But hey...I was able to sit in first class...the first time in my life...because I was so sick...I guess they had mercy on me...or wanted me to keep away from the other passengers! :O)

Now it is hitting the ground running...as I returned the my house where the Creech family is temporarily staying until the find a home of their own.  It was great to catch up and tell them a little of my heart.  I will spend the next few weeks helping them acclimated to the area.  I am also trucking along in the office.  I am currently working on an employee handbook and training coming up the end of this month.  By February...we will have 7 new team members!

Then next week I will be heading to Denmark to visit the Logos Hope Ship...where I will be meeting with people about the ships voyage to Ireland and all the logistics of making that a reality.  I am also coordinating an up coming golf clinic here in town in which we are partnering with FCA in the states.  We will end the week with a mini ryder cup...should be fun...but lots of work to put all that together...so please pray God's wisdom and direction as I do just that!

During my trip home people kept asking "How's it going?"  "What is it like?"  I wanted to scream if I was asked that one more time. One morning I spent some time with the Lord...because it really bothered me that I was so worked up about people asking me what I thought were such simple questions.  I learned that the only way I could sum up what I was feeling or experienced while on the field was "HEAVINESS".  Although things had been very productive with our pioneering ministry getting up and running in new offices...and great relationship had been formed with my neighbors...I still felt this weight on my shoulders.  I realized that I am just scratching the surface  and a small part of God's doing here in Ireland and the world.  I also learned that there is a real need for people..."the workers are truly few".  

But the cool thing I have learned...that God is a BIG God...in that He can take all the world's hurt, pain, frustration...etc and He is the only one who can handle it.  I couldn't get that across to people for some reason...but if I could go back...that is what I would say...Heavy is my heart for the world...but HE is in control. 

One morning I was reading in Matthew chapter 8 (The Cost of Following Jesus) how the disciple ask Jesus if he could go and bury his father first...and Jesus replied.. "Follow me and let the dead bury their own dead".  Matt 8: 21-22. I realized there is nothing any of us could do really from our home or in a country far away...except look to God with amazement and pray how He could use us. Situations are out of our control...but if we look to Him...He will take care of the fine details.  

I came to the conclusion that I was so frustrated when people asked me simple questions...because I was not fully yielding my heart to hear from HIM.  I was realizing...here I am over in Ireland (as well as for my family and friends back home)...carrying this burden as if it were mine...but had to let go of that...and just Praise GOD!!!  When you don't know what to do...praise GOD!  The best way for me is through song.  I had a song pop up in my mind when I was writing this called "When I Think About the Lord".  Here is the video...take a moment to stop and listen to the words and really think about what God has done for you.  Happy New Year!  Please copy and paste this link into your web browser... http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9Kha9S2_f6w