Yep, Frozen is stuck in my head and honestly, I don't mind.
If you haven't seen the movie, see it. Olaf cracks me up.
Anywho...
I've seen a lot of sunrises this semester, which is like watching an artist at work, but has also taught me about the importance of sleep.
My first year at HILC is almost through--I can hardly believe it! There will be a time (and post) of wrapping up the year, but not quite yet.
We're heading into the Heart for the House and Conference season, which means we're pushing at full steam ahead! I don't really know a time we haven't been at full steam, so it might be better to say the church is in a "surge" season.
Heart for the House is the time of year where Hillsong comes together and gives over and above their tithes. At my home church we call it the "Thank You, Jesus" offering. It's quite a special time in the church, but I've never really thought about the power behind it. I regularly tithe, but have never participated in the Thank You, Jesus offering; it's not something I had a revelation about. But this season is different. I don't think it has to do with being at Hillsong, but more to do with the way Heart for the House has been explained to me:
Typically giving above my tithe hasn't been something I'd plan for or think on. It was just something I'd do spur of the moment or not at all. But the way Pastor Joel A'bell was speaking about it one service brought me to a place of understanding how investing this season can be. (There was also a brilliant finance advisor who came into class and made the concept very clear!) Long story short, I'm very excited and expectant over Heart for the House to see how God will stretch me and reveal to me about how to be more involved in His global mission. Planning to be generous is kind of like taking on the best kind of dare; how much
CAN I give?!
So I'm pumped for that and to see the fruit that bears.
Last week Monday I gave my first preach and I have to admit that it was pretty much awesome! I LOVED IT!! In preaching class everyone had to preach for 5 minutes and I was the 2nd to last one to go. My tutorial mates are some of the most gifted people I've ever met and it was a privilege to see each 5 minute preach! When it was my turn, I was super pumped! I really felt like the Lord breathed a specific word in my heart for it and the more time I spent developing the idea into something feasible and practical, I could feel God affirm a lot of things.
God has given each of us special and specific gifts, but the gifting on our lives say little about us and more about His character. I don't want to waste or limit and potential on my life, because I decide to rely on talent rather than steward the anointing on my life. I'm comfortable with public speaking and I do believe it's one of the gifts God has given me, but I didn't want to leave the opportunity up to chance. Am I making sense? Basically it was a struggle to say to myself "practice your preach. don't just expect to get up there and communicate it well. By not practicing and spending time preparing, you are limiting the potential of what God wants to do."
I had been given an opportunity and I didn't want to waste it on trusting my public speaking history. I want to trust that through diligence and good stewardship the Spirit would keep developing and molding the message into something greater than talent alone could convey.
Anyway, it went really well. I loved it and got a lot of great feedback! You don't do it for the feedback, of course, but it was nice to hear that I preached as effectively out loud as I did in my head :) I know I have a long way to grow, but it's very exciting to see some of my dreams actually coming to fruition!
The link below will take you to the video.
I'm not putting it up to be showy,
but to make it accessible to loved ones in the easiest way possible.
(Sorry about the blurriness, but I don't know how to fix it)
On a completely different note, my sister and I are hoping to participate in the 2015 Disney World Tower of Terror 10 Mile Run. It promises to be a lot of fun, but the training process always reminds me of how strenuous new habits can be. Trying to make running a habit isn't easy; there's always a better offer than to go on a run. But as per usual faithfulness in one area has produced encouraging results: my mile time is decreasing and I'm running longer than before. Apparently diligence and progress go hand-in-hand...surprise, hey?
So as I type and look out the windows and calculate the time before my run date, I'm searching my brain for excuses that won't leave me wallowing in regret. But I suppose that's what excuses always lead to, hey? Regret. If I didn't regret something, then I wouldn't need an excuse. So in about 2 hours I'll be on my jog through the park, most likely wondering why I didn't drink more water before I left. It always happens. But I digress. The point was to share my excitement that my sister initiated this adventure and the adventure I know awaits! Not to mention the health benefits and the consequences of feeling like a champion all the time! :)
Friends, let me end by speaking life into your week.
There's a lot of things waiting for you in your Monday-Friday, a lot of good and a lot of mediocre. But choose to come at it from a good angle. Receive everything with a light heart. When new challenges present themselves, and they will, remember they are always paired with new opportunities. New opportunities spawn new lessons, and as long as you're learning, you're making progress.
This week will be great! It'll be full of promotions, new friendships, heightened passion for servanthood, and maybe even longer runs :)
Let's get ready!
