Day out with my camera

I love fall.

An ant's perspective.

He was standing at the gate. I think he wanted out.

My favorite bridge in the whole world.

I love this city! (Photo taken by a friend)

Another mountain conquered

On the 13th of June I took and passed my UK driving test! I think I was more nervous taking the test now then when I was 16 in the States. Ironically, I was wearing my David Crowder Band Collision T-shirt (generously given to me second hand by a wonderful friend). I hadn't even noticed this but a woman in the test centre waiting room pointed this out to me. Thankfully, there were no collisions :)

Pomp and Pageantry

I had the wonderful opportunity to be a part of the contagious excitement of the Royal Wedding. I couldn't believe the sheer number of people who turned up but also the feeling of camaraderie in the crowds as we all shared a moment in history together. A friend of mine posted this on facebook:

"What a breathtaking day. Amazing to think the Royal Wedding of King Jesus will be even more beautiful. God's so good for giving us a glimpse of it through days like this."

Amen and Amen!

I loved the Union Jack cowboy hats!

Screens in Green Park

Can you spot Kate in this photo?

The Ritz

Walking down the middle of Picadilly Street

Picadilly Circus

Kingston and Richmond...at the encouragement of a friend.

So I haven't posted in a while and I have heard a few comments from friends. So here goes...some of my latest pics around town. Kingston had a fair for St. George's Day and I just couldn't resist taking pictures of the dancing kids. So cute! The pics of the Thames are from Richmond Hill. Beautiful area.

 

Why are we not running toward this?

Last week I was in Paris helping out with an orientation for new volunteers who will be in different cities in Europe for a semester. One of the talks that I gave was about God's heart for the nations. I really wanted the volunteers to see that God has really had a heart for all the nations from Genesis straight through to Revelation. It isn't just in Matthew with the great commission that the Word demonstrates this. At any rate, one of the scriptures that I shared with them was Matthew 24:14 "And this gospel will be proclaimed throughout the whole world as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come." I talked about how our sharing is really ushering in God's Kingdom and bringing Jesus back.

Now fast forward to yesterday. I attended a women's conference at my church about how to reach the nations as women. The main speaker focused on Psalm 96 for our reason and challenge to share but she also pulled in Matthew 24:14 as well. Again, the same verse that I used in my talk a week earlier but this time the impact of that verse really struck me (don't you love it when that happens, a real aha moment). She said the same thing I did, that our sharing helps to bring Jesus back, but she also added that our sharing helps to end suffering and sorrow because that is what will happen upon His return. Now I know that there is an appointed time when Jesus will return and God alone knows that date. However, do you hear what I am saying here?! Scratch that, what the Word is saying here. Our sharing will bring Jesus back! Our sharing will put an end to tears and pain and sadness and disease. It will be the world right again and Jesus will sit on His rightful throne as ruler of the world. This world, this life as we know it with sin and shame and all the hurts and confusion will be finished. The end will come. All the nations will hear and then the end will come.

Why are we not running toward this? Why are we so complacent to tell others about our God? Do we love this world too much? Waiting for something to occur here in this life? Do we want a few more years to toil away? Are we too content with how things are? Are we really that afraid of rejection that we would hold off the Glory of the End a bit longer? I can say yes at some point to all of these things but when this verse really hit me and the implications of  our sharing hit me I realized all of those thoughts are ludicrous (and I don't mean the rapper). Even as I write this I know that I don't share as much as I want to or should and I know tomorrow will go by with so many missed opportunities. However, I pray that I keep this realization in my heart. That I need to share so that others can experience this end with great joy at seeing their Saviour return but also knowing that sharing helps His return come quickly and it will end so much brokenness that just wasn't meant to be.

"And this gospel will be proclaimed throughout the whole world as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come." Matthew 24:14

Christmas picture updates. Yes, I know it is January.

This is the snow that created mass travel chaos in London.

Some of my Christmas decorations.

My tree!

The following pictures are of my trip to Germany for Christmas and some of the amazing views I had whilst hiking.

Kandern, Germany

Remember who are you following?

I have been feeling completely overwhelmed lately with the task that is before me. I feel like my brain is in overdrive trying to come up with ideas and plans on how to draw students in so that I might have an opportunity to build relationships and share the gospel with them. Hot topic discussions? Bible discussions? Community service groups? Social gatherings? Offering free food in some form? The list could go on and on but there is one problem here. I am not trusting God. Don’t get me wrong, a list like this one is great and strategy is a much needed thing but the last couple of days I felt the Lord telling me that you are planning all of these things and are trying different ideas but you are not letting me lead, you are scrambling, grasping at straws. I was getting stressed out and discouraged because I was putting my best laid plans forth and not God’s. I was also feeling pressure because what if my plans don’t work and nothing I do builds relationships with students? What if I fail?

The last couple of days I have felt the stress and tension building and I just kept praying in my head: “I need more of you and less of me.” The stress and discouragement was shining through in my thoughts and attitude and I knew that it was bubbling over into all that I was doing. NOT a good thing! So this morning I decided that I was going to spend some extra, dedicated time with God. Not to seek answers on how to have the best agenda to win students but to get back to basics and fix this “me” problem that I was having.

Let me tell you that God is faithful! Every time that I have gotten wound up about what I need to be doing here He reminds me that it is not MY plans or job or task but HIS. I am currently studying Matthew and I am at the part in Matthew 8 where a few ask to follow Jesus and He tells them He has no where to lay His head (i.e. the task may be hard) and that we are to just follow Him and let the dead bury the dead (i.e. the time is NOW to follow, not after we take care of our business). Directly after these statements His disciples follow Him into the boat to cross the sea.  This is the part where the storm comes and the disciples get scared and Jesus just sleeps in the boat until they wake him terrified saying: “Save us, Lord; we are perishing! He said to them, ‘Why are you afraid, you men of little faith?’ Then He got up and rebuked the winds and the sea, and it became perfectly calm. The men were amazed, and said, ‘What kind of man is this, that even the winds and the sea obey Him?”

I have to say that I completely identify with the disciples here. The storm is more in my head than on the sea surrounding me but it sure feels like I am on a stormy sea at times. However, the study guide that I am using added some great insight. Jesus’ response was “Why are you afraid…?” In other words He just told them that things might be tough but remember who you are following. Who is it that you signed up with? In the previous verse Jesus calls Himself the Son of Man. A term taken out of Daniel 7:13-14 and so I decided to flip there to get a better idea what this term meant. This is the glorious nugget of truth that brought me to tears:

“I kept looking in the night visions,

And behold, with the clouds of heaven

One like a Son of Man was coming,

And He came up to the Ancient of Days

And was presented before Him.

And to Him was given dominion,

Glory and a kingdom,

That all the peoples, nations and men of every language

Might serve Him.

His dominion is an everlasting dominion

Which will not pass away;

And His Kingdom is one

Which will not be destroyed.”

This is the Son of Man! This is the one that I am following. I need to remember who I am following! It’s not my kingdom, it’s not in my power, it’s not my plans but His. He has the kingdom that will not pass away and the plans that will bring all peoples to Him. Praise the Lord! He told me to relax, have faith and remember who you are following. It is the man who rebukes the winds and the sea to bring perfect calm. It is the man who only asks us to follow; not lead, not to figure it out yourselves, not to come up with the one “it” thing that will draw students in, but to follow. It is the man who leads us to everlasting life and life abundantly. The God who desires the hearts of people more than I ever could. Remember who I am following and where He leads. He doesn’t tell us to go and see if you can make it work. He says follow me, follow the Son of Man!

“Come to Me, all who are wary and heavy-laden, and I will give you rest.