doodling about uganda

A kind, young artist drew me a picture of Uganda and the boys that I will meet there.

The names of the staff and boys that I get to meet- the names inside the house show the 9 boys who live there currently, and the names outside are some of the street boys in Jinja. 

These verses speak of God's love for us- He has engraved us on the palms of His hands... and of how we can worship God by caring for others. 

Sweetest Moments

One of the sweetest, joy-filled moments of my life was 

getting baptized last Sunday evening. 

Baptism for those who love Jesus is a public declaration of faith in Him, and "like putting on a ring when you get married as a symbol of commitment. But the ring is not what makes someone married, it is their love and vows they made (Dan Kimball)." It is a beautiful symbol of what Jesus has done for us, and the change He has brought in our lives- from death to life, from fear to freedom, love, hope, and peace.

It was a moment of getting to praise God for His steadfast love and faithfulness in my life, and to thank my friends and family for their kindness to me. 

I shared part of 1st John 4:18 with everyone, which has been powerful truth in my life: "There is no fear in love, but perfect love casts out fear." 

I am learning to trust in God's perfect love for me, and let myself be embraced by His love and live my life out of the knowledge that I am deeply loved by Him. As I do so, God casts away the fears, anxieties, and insecurities in my life. I hope that you can rest in the knowledge that you are deeply loved by God, and that no matter what is happening or has happened in your life, He is a God who saves us, who redeems and heals us, and who astoundingly loves us. 

I am excited to leave for Uganda in about 3 weeks, 

and will post more during the trip.

Strength and Weakness

I was reading a favorite blog today by Richard Dahlstrom, my pastor when I lived in Seattle, WA. His post about strength and weakness captured in words something I have been pondering lately: http://www.patheos.com/blogs/richarddahlstrom/

It is about the verse in Zechariah 4.6 that says “not by might, nor by power, but by my Spirit says the LORD of hosts" (see Jeremiah 17 as well). In my current season of life, I have been confronted by the limits of my "strength" (my intelligence, experience with children, schooling, etc.) when confronted with the realities of peoples' pain. I am learning to live by His Spirit instead- living into the mystery and truth that His power is made perfect in our weakness. Learning to turn to Jesus in each moment of need for His strength and wisdom and perspective to replace my own, and in little moments of gratitude for the amazing clouds over Santa Cruz, for the text from my sister that said "Don't rely just on your strength today," and for the conversation with a dear friend this weekend. Thank you Lord for these gifts and the many others you have provided, and for teaching me to rely on Your strength.