Mungu Akipenda

My trip to Kenya is finally here! I'm off with 21 other NCCers to International Christian Centre in Nairobi. I am very excited and ready to go. A big THANK YOU to each one of you for all your support! I have never felt so drenched in prayers and blessings from so many people. I would not be on this journey if it wasn't for this wonderful group of women in my life pushing me, encouraging me, and strengthening me in the ways that you have.

If you miss me so much you just can't stand it =) ...you can follow along with what our group is doing on our Kenya blog. http://theaterchurch.com/missions/kenya

See you June 5th!

Congratulations, Lanre!

Everyone happy, happy!

Back to Blogging!

I'm welcoming myself back to the blog!! It has been awhile. I am really looking forward of co-leading this summer's study on James with Kristen. It is going to be challenging and of course a lot of fun!!

"Reunited and it feels so good..."

What a fun night of good food, good friends, and great laughter! We all enjoyed catching up with Lanre and hearing her Abuja adventures. It's good to have you back girl! We also had a great time sharing funny stories and learning new talents! ;-) We were sad to say goodbye to Nita who will be heading back to Indonesia June 5 but are so glad that she was able to be a part of the group this semester. Here are a couple pics of last night from Nita's camera.

Lisa, why are you hiding?

What is up with my ridiculous side swoop of the hair? Feeling totally 80's apparently.

And Lisa is hiding again!

Looking forward to this summer. We will meet on Tuesdays instead of Mondays and will trek through the book of James together!

No Satisfaction:

I opened up the Wall Street Journal at lunch today to do some reading and came across this article on the front page of the Personal Journal section entitled "No Satisfaction: Why What You Have Is Never Enough". The next few sentences read..."We may have life and liberty. But the pursuit of happiness isn't going so well." It goes on to say "Experts offer two explanations... We aren't built to be happy.... We're bad at forecasting". That's it! That's how the "experts" explain the desire for man to be happy, feel purpose, love life. How sad. They are missing the entire point of life... To know the One that created you and understand that our longing comes from a desire to be connected to Him as we were meant to be. I feel like we spent the last semester talking a lot about this. I just felt the article was so sad and shallow. Read it for yourself. I'd love to hear your comments!

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB117805835593488773.html?mod=hps_us_editors_picks

Thank you

Ladies: Thank you for all of your support and prayers. I feel very blessed to be in this group.

Don't forget, dinner this Sunday at 6p.m.!

Happy birthday to Kimberly! Happy birthday to yuuu!!

Good

Something from the chapter this week really resonated with me. John says that Jesus' hunger validates ours... that we don't have to be ashamed or try to minimize our hunger, or deep desires. He goes on to say that because our hearts have been ransomed and bought over by Christ, our true hearts are good... in our core, where the Spirit of God lives, we are indescribably good because our Father is.

That is so freeing and challenging to me! Freeing because I can admit that I want more and I don't have to feel guilty about it. Also, freeing because I know that the bad desires are not my true self... the old man has died! It is challenging, though, because often, the manifestations of my hunger aren't good... but they can be!

I don't know, those thoughts just makes me so happy! :)

No more Monday blues

Monday night was just what I needed. I came in feeling frustrated & defeated and left feeling encouraged and hopeful. Thanks for a great discussion and time of prayer!

Happy Easter, dear friends!

Yesterday, I woke up with lines from the old hymn playing over and over in my head "Christ the Lord is risen today, Alleluia" I could only remember bits and pieces of the whole song, but I kept repeating over and over "Where, O death, is now thy sting? Alleluia!"

Something in my spirit was just so joyful over those two phrases and I knew it was something beyond Jesus' resurrection (I know how blasphemous that sounds, that there might be something else to excite me beyond salvation. Hang on, I can explain...)

When Christ died on the cross, he took away the permanence of death. Those God-birthed dreams, passions, hopes, aspirations, opportunities, and relationships that look as though they might be dead and buried... those that the enemy has rolled a stone over and proclaimed gone don't have to be. As the believing beneficiaries of the power of resurrection that our Lord bought for us, we can proclaim LIFE (abundant life) and vitality into any situation! Death is temporary... if God can raise Christ-- He can surely resurrect His purposes over our lives, no matter how dead they feel inside us... no matter how lifelessly we feel we are pursuing those things.

Christ our Lord is risen; the hard part's been done... we can claim and operate in that power! Hallelujah!

Restoration

Hey ladies! So it's a little late in the week but I wanted to say thanks for everyone who was able to make it on Monday. We had a good discussion about chapter 7 of our book. It was a tough one to tackle but here are just a few very general points that we talked about. We missed those of you who couldn't make it and hope to see you next week!

• Having an eternal perspective shapes our desires here on earth
• Through the Holy Spirit working in us, we are given glimpses of God's perfections- glimpses of heaven
• The idea of heaven should evoke excitement within us. The idea of a place where all is restored and perfect. We have no sin or shame separating us from God and there is no brokenness, insecurities, fears, or self doubt.
• Heaven is meant to be mysterious- we don't have to have it all figured out. We choose to live by faith and not by sight; to believe the unbelievable.

We also heard some great testaments about God's faithfulness to answer prayer in the lives of our friends. Some praises include Carmel's new job! Laura & Jess getting a new wonderful roommate! And my financial debt under God's control! Thank you Jesus for listening and caring about the needs of all the women in our group and revealing answers in your perfect timing.

See you all next week!

Greetings from Nigeria!

Hey ladies!

I have been meaning to blog, but it's been hard to put into words all the things I want to say...

I am well--- really, really well, actually. Being here is so good for me. I am learning what it really means to want this career that I have chosen. For me, anyway, it is easy to latch on to a desire and claim that I want it really badly and yet not be willing to make the sacrifices or put in the work to make that desire a reality-- even when God is giving it to me.

Work is going well. It is hard enough being your own boss, talk less of managing other people... some mornings I wake up and wish someone else were giving the orders. I am trying to remember that Someone Else is and only through Him will anything get done, talk less of getting it done well.

Adjustment has been a non-issue! Honestly, my life here is very much the same as life there-- minus seeing all of you... but I am still very much connected and accessible via email and phone. Lisa keeps me posted regularly, too. My dad managed to squeeze in a half day to see me this week, which was such a treat and my aunt and I have a standing date on Sundays (to watch West African Idol!!!). I get to talk to my cousins and grandmother often, and might be able to get some time off around Easter to see more family, and party in Lagos!

I think I have found a church home here-- House on the Rock Church... the demographics are very similar to NCC's, so can you say handsome single men?! I am keeping up with you on our study, and often wish I had bugged Daphne's apartment so I could listen in on Monday nights!

Prayer requests: Please keep praying for the political situation here and upcoming elections April 14th and 21st. There have already been some demonstrations and police force in some areas. Pray for peace, pray for a calm transition... Also, please pray for God's direction on next steps for when I return. I have a couple phone interviews lined up for next week, so pray along with me for discernment and for a heart to trust God.

Much much love,
L

Pictures!

Hi everyone,

Finally got around to uploading my pictures from my trip to Vietnam and Australia -- http://www.flickr.com/photos/11151982
Still learning to manage this site; pictures will make better viewing sense if you click on the albums on the middle-right of the page.

Enjoy!

As you all know, Godspell is coming to NCC in a few weeks.

Godspell, a musical based on the Gospel of Matthew, comes to the Ebenezers stage March 30-April 8.
Set in modern times against the backdrop of the DC metro system, Godspell tells the story of Jesus and his disciples and the history-changing community that they formed.

Tickets are $10 General Admission. Tickets purchased online will be held at will-call. Tickets also on sale at Ebenezers (check or cash only).

Here are the performance dates:

Friday, March 30 at 8:00 pm
Sunday, April 1 at 2:00 pm
Sunday, April 1 at 6:00 pm
Thursday, April 5 at 8:00 pm
Friday, April 6 at 8:00 pm
Saturday, April 7 at 10:00pm **Easter Vigil Performance
Sunday, April 8 at 2:00 pm
Sunday, April 8 at 6:00 pm

Let me know if you plan to come to either the Friday, March 30th or Friday, April 6th. We should grab dinner before the show!

Where I've Been

Those of you who know me may have observed or been told by me that there has been a heaviness in my soul over the past several months and a struggle with God about a sadness within me. I felt restless for change. I was fairly quiet during our prayer request times in the fall semester and even now because of it. I couldn't put into words what I needed prayer for. I've been taking comfort in the Psalm below which explains where I'm at. The good news is I am moving out of this phase and find that I am bracing myself for change that God has been preparing me for.

Psalm 42
As the deer pants for streams of water, so my soul pants for you, O God.
My soul thirsts for God, for the living God.
When can I go and meet with God?

My tears have been my food day and night, while men say to me all day long,
"Where is your God?" These things I remember
as I pour out my soul: how I used to go with the multitude,
leading the procession to the house of God,
with shouts of joy and thanksgiving among the festive throng.

Why are you downcast, O my soul? Why so disturbed within me?
Put your hope in God, for I will yet praise him,
my Savior and my God.

My soul is downcast within me;
therefore I will remember you from the land of the Jordan,
the heights of Hermon—from Mount Mizar.
Deep calls to deep in the roar of your waterfalls;
all your waves and breakers have swept over me.
By day the LORD directs his love, at night his song is with me—
a prayer to the God of my life. I say to God my Rock,
"Why have you forgotten me? Why must I go about mourning, oppressed by the enemy?"
My bones suffer mortal agony as my foes taunt me, saying to me all day long,
"Where is your God?"

Why are you downcast, O my soul? Why so disturbed within me?
Put your hope in God, for I will yet praise him,
my Savior and my God.

Dilemma of desire

So, chapter 2 asks what we do when the past and fears make it hard to desire again.

I am so comforted by God's promise; no matter what life has done to our hearts, to our desires

Ezekiel 36: 26 "A new heart also will I give you, and a new spirit will I put within you: and I will take away the stony heart out of your flesh, and I will give you an heart of flesh. "

I am convinced that, as Peter quotes David saying, the secret to continuing to live in hope, is looking to God and recounting his past blessings in my life and in the lives of others around me.

Acts 2:25-27 ..."'I saw the Lord always before me. Because he is at my right hand, I will not be shaken. Therefore my heart is glad and my tongue rejoices; my body also will live in hope, because you will not abandon me to the grave"...

If you dont have the a copy of the book/guidebook....

Feel free to download Chapter 2 and 3:

Chapter 2 Journey of Desire Searching for the Life We Have Only Dreamed Of

Chapter 2 Journey of Desire Guidebook and Journal

Chapter 3 Journey of Desire Searching for the Life We Have Only Dreamed Of

Chapter 3 Journey of Desire Guidebook and Journal

See you next week!

Now, here is some desire!

Ladies, thoroughly enjoyed your input and our discussion last night. Thank you for investing so much and being so engaged in this study-- I am confident all of our effort will bear much fruit!

I just wanted to share a glimpse into what David desired...

Psalm 63: 1-8

1 O God, you are my God, earnestly I seek you; my soul thirsts for you, my body longs for you, in a dry and weary land where there is no water.
2 I have seen you in the sanctuary and beheld your power and your glory.
3 Because your love is better than life, my lips will glorify you.
4 I will praise you as long as I live, and in your name I will lift up my hands.
5 My soul will be satisfied as with the richest of foods; with singing lips my mouth will praise you.
6 On my bed I remember you; I think of you through the watches of the night.
7 Because you are my help, I sing in the shadow of your wings.
8 My soul clings to you; your right hand upholds me....

Look it up, David wrote this when he was in the Desert of Judah... I am challenged to have my thoughts align more with his...

I have found that this daily devotional is a great tool: http://www.268generation.com/thirsty/thirsty_journal_frameset.htm

Desire

Hey guys-

Well I finished the first chapter/journal study. It was pretty challenging for me to answer the questions. Did you guys learn anything new about yourself? Or something you knew about yourself but it was just now brought again to your attention?

I learned that I still have never gotten over the pain of my past. My father was an alcoholic, and and my homelife was pretty hard. My mother was always busy trying to meet all my father's needs, and my brother and I were left to teach ourselves about life and grow up on our own with no direction or love. I look back on my life not with nostalgia, but with resentment. I need to learn to let the past go. I wish I had had a family who had loved and nurtured me. At least I can take away something good from the exprience: I know the kind of parent I will never let myself become.

I also learned I have a lot of unrealized desires, many of which are Godly and pure, but I am scared they will never be realized (such as doing humanitarian work abroad, knowing God intimately, knowing MYSELF intimately, finding the peace that God has promised His children, etc).

I also learned that I am the kind of person who, if things are not right, I want to fix them right away and if I can't, I get very upset. I am a very proactive person, and it's hard for me just to be like well this is the way things are, do the best you can. I am unable to settle, I am always striving to make things better. For example, it's hard living in DC, I can't find a sense of community, it's loud, dirty (just like any other city), and I wish I could move to a small town out west. But I can't. I am here, and think that God brought me here for a reason, but it's hard to be like well God, you brought me here but I don't want to be here, please take me away! :) It's like, I want God to challenge me and I want to grow and be content no matter what my circumstances are, but my DESIRE to live elsewhere, to have a more meaningful job, to establish a small core group of friends, is ALWAYS there. So what do I do then?

Just some thoughts. :) I am looking forward to seeing everyone again tomorrow night!
Jennifer

Seats in a theater...

If you were at Union Station last Sunday, you noticed we had a little seating problem. There are great new snazzy seats in the Union theaters, but there are 75 fewer of them!

We knew we were going to lose some seats, but weren’t told it would be that many. Dozens of people were standing, and about 50 people were turned away from each service.

So– here’s what we are asking. For next week (and maybe the next couple weeks), please consider coming to our 7:07 Ebenezers service or 10:30 Ballston service.

The church is working very hard on a solution to this, and will be surveying the congregation this weekend to determine when/where to add a new service. But in the meantime, we would really appreciate any sacrifices you could make to attend one of these other services.