Year 22

This is the last few minutes of my birthday I write this birthday blog post about family and my hope for this year. I have learned very quickly in this year that I need to around my family. Not just my earthly family but also my spiritual one. 

I have been blessed with a multitude of loved ones and friends people that I can call mine. God is my resting place. This year I want to be immersed in his Holy Spirit and surrounded by the people who love Him as much as I do my brothers and my sisters.

On the last two Monday's View 63 has been incredibly full that it almost feels like a safety hazard.  A comment I have jokingly made both times is that why wouldn't the best place to die be surrounded by your brothers and sisters praising God. It is always is an encouragement to me when I see my friends or people I know at devotionals praising God with me. There is a sense of unity in singing praise to our Lord. There are moments when I can get very claustrophobic but moments like View 63 I am okay with being surround in God's presence.   

I was praying during one of the songs during View 63 and as the next song began it was Magnificat. It is Mary's Song, mother of Jesus.  Now this song is very special to me and always brings tears to my eyes. On my first trip to Ukraine we sang this song to the women in the churches that we did the ladies day at. It is also Katie Price's favorite song.  So as the rest of the chapel sang the song I prayed a hard for sweet Ukraine. I prayed for all of my loved ones and everything that is going on over there.  Almost time I thought the song was going to end I thought I am not done. The chapel kept on singing.  "My soul magnifies the Lord"  I miss and love my brothers and sisters in that beautiful country. When I was finished with the prayer I finished the last line of the alto part with chapel and the song concluded.

During Women in Mission class on Tuesday, we learned about Resilience from Cherry Hart. She was a beautiful woman who accent was surprising and pleasant to the ears. She was a missionary in South Africa (cool). After her story about a girl and the lesson of the four ways the girl was strong and she pulled them to work in her life. Nancy gave the rest of the class and I a survey of the seven different categorizes that we did in class. I was surprised to see how some of them turned out.  One of the highest one for me was my extended family,  skill, and I forgot the other one at the moment. My extended family one, took me by surprised.

The next thing to happen took me even more by surprise. This had to be a God thing because as I was going to walk out of the doors of the bible building I notice a relative that I knew. My cousin Ryan had come to OC for a meeting.

I got to see him and talk to him before my birthday but also about Wishing Well since our planning meeting was the same night. He also did not know that Wednesday was my birthday (Hahaha :D).

Skip to Wednesday

I slept in enjoyed my last Wednesday without having to work in the mornings before classes but I am excited to start working and see the kids that I babysat last year. However when I finally did feel my phone vibrate I knew there was no turning back on starting the day. When I went to lunch I enjoyed the fact that some of my friends did not know it was my birthday until I told them. It was almost like I had the upper hand at this moment (not a normal reaction). Before I left the lunch table most of my other friends left because of the fact they needed to do homework but I was enjoying being in their presence.

This is my groups descriptions of God

At church on Wednesday while we were singing I prayed a prayer of thanksgiving for the life he has given me and the family that I have to share it with. I have learned while I have been in college that my easiest times to pray is when I have people singing around me. This does not work with a CD of people sing but with real people.
 For an experiment in our discussion at the Gathering. There were four different tables of people.  We had circles at the table and on these circles we had to write descriptions, metaphors, and qualities of God. Each table had some creatives ones my favorite from our table was God is childlike.  We got to sing a little bit more after the discussion and then we got ice cream and cupcakes because people had birthdays in that week.

In the last portion of the evening I got to go to Waffle House with my room mate, Jessica, Mat, and Chloe. I am so blessed in all these families and relationships I have in God. For even Jesus did not even have just one family.  
"Who are my mother and my brothers?” he asked Then he looked at those seated in a circle around him and said, “Here are my mother and my brothers! Whoever does God’s will is my brother and sister and mother.” Mark 3:33-35
  
The best thing about being spiritual brothers and sisters we will always know each other in heaven. We will be connected together as one big family.  

Thank you brothers and sisters for your birthday wishes they have been a blessing on my life. I hope you have a blessed year and we get to enjoy it praising God together in our time that we share together.