The Simplehearted

Sim*ple-heart*ed {sim-puhl-hahr-tid}
adjective
free of deceit; artless; sincere.

The Lord protects the simplehearted; when I was in great need, he saved me.

Psalm 116:6

I am thankful for my God. I am thankful that he has never left me nor forsaken me. I feel like I can breathe again. I can laugh once more. I have joy.

When I started to pray and seek God's heart, he spoke to mine. I felt him telling me to rest. What a joyful rest!

He has opened my eyes and breathed new life into me once again. My joy is from within and he has allowed me to smile and enjoy the simple things in life; the uncomplicated beauty that he wants for me/us. I find great pleasure in seeking his world as He sees it:

- life-giving relationships

- Laughter

- Beauty in the sounds of birds

- Beauty in the gray sky morning

- Whole foods

- The love for the handmade

- All of these things should be centered around people and relationships

In the spirit of the upcoming Thanksgiving holiday, I find myself to be thankful for Him. Thankful for Him giving me great peace and rest - a state of unthreatened well-being. Thankful for making me simplehearted once more. 

How can I repay Him? How can I thank the Lord for his goodness?

I can only offer my desire to please him in my actions and in my words. 

What are you thankful for this season?

 

May I find joy in all things "simple"

The psalm of David captures in words what I cannot express:

Be at rest once more, O my soul, for the Lord has been good to you.

For you, O Lord, have delivered my soul from death, my eyes from tears, my feet from stumbling, that I may walk before the Lord in the land of the living. I believed; therefore I said, I am greatly afllicted. And in my dismay I said, 'All men are liars.' 

How can I repay the Lord for all his goodness to me? I will lift up the cup of salvation and call on the name of the Lord.

I will fulfill my vows to the Lord in the presence of all his people.

Precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of his saints. O Lord, truly I am your servant; I am your servant, the son of your maidservant, you have freed me from my chains.

I will sacrifice a thank offering to you and call on the name of the Lord. I will full my vows to the Lord in the presence of all his people. In the courts of the house of the Lord - in your midst, O Jerusalem.

Praise the Lord.

Psalm 116:7-19

Are My Feet Willing?

I'm going back to Ethiopia! I'm excited for so many reasons, but I'm most excited to see how God has brought it all together thus far and even more excited to see how he will continue to work and make things happen.

You want a little back story? Well, even if you said "no", get over it, because I said a "little"...I'm not going to share all the nitty gritty. (I'll save that for a later post).

I knew I had to go back to Africa. God told me. Oh, don't look at me like that (with that crazy look on your face). He started speaking to my heart about Africa years ago (see Post #1and I always prayed that if he wanted me to travel back then to never let the fire go out in my heart. So, the fire never went out...God spoke to me. :) See Post #1 to see how I felt in April of this year.

For months, I've researched, applied, interviewed, with countless organizations. But, mostly I've prayed. I prayed that God would give me a clear vision/goal of what he would want me to do and I kept coming back to clean water projects and unreached people and venture into places that are not appealing to most people.

In early April, my mom told me about her cousin (my second cousin), Tom and his wife Teresa Rieder, who have started their own project - Project Ethiopia and have committed to going to the Omo Region of Ethiopia and to live there for two years while working with the local church (Kale Heywet) of Southern Ethiopia. They are going there to work and minister and, ultimately, drill a well in Turmi, Ethiopia.

I was in contact with Tom for months while I was still applying with other organizations. Looking back, it seems so apparent that I should be traveling with Tom and Teresa, but it took me a while to get there. I just put my trust in God and continued to ask him for guidance. One night in particular, I was talking to Matty K about feeling pulled in a couple different directions (possible travel with the AIM - Africa Inland Mission or with Tom) and Matty put it bluntly, "Jen, I think the choice is obvious."

It was obvious. Matty K was right once again - thank you God for speaking some sense into me through Matty K! I emailed Tom and Teresa the next day. I was hoping that they would feel God leading them to accept me into their project just as much as I felt His hand guiding me. I received an email back from "T&T" (Tom and Teresa) and they accepted me with open arms.

Wow. I still can't get over how I got connected with a family member (whom I've never met face-to-face) who is passionate about clean water like I am and is taking "action" in a country that we both love. God keeps "wow-ing" me away with how much he provides in due time. There are so many more details to share about Project Ethiopia and how "T & T" have been blessed...how my sis-in-law, Lo, is joining. It's pretty cool "stuff".

Currently, I have plans to travel in March or April of 2011, but nothing set in stone (or even dirt) at this point since there are many other factors involved with the dates of travel. Lauren and I will be traveling for about 1 1/2-2 months and to assist T & T with Project Ethiopia since it will still be in its beginning phases.


But, for now, this is my 'phase 1' and I'll keep you updated on the different phases as they come.

 Ambo, Ethiopia 2008

"What if it's worth it? Can we afford to wait for things to become easy?
I don't know what to do with this. God is calling me to something, but is it something this hard?
I have these feet and they can go even if they are not experienced.
But the question I'm asking is this:
Are they willing?
Willing to walk some of the Earth's most beautiful and devastated lands?
Willing to stand side-by-side with those of my African brothers and sisters?
Willing to be trashed in the process and one day be called beautiful?
Are my feet willing to move against the fear?
I don't know what to do with this, but there's one thing I do know:


I can no longer just walk away..."

- AIM On-Field Media



Romans 10:15 "...How beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news!"

Hang Time

It's been a few months since I've posted. I don't have an excuse that my life is too busy or that I forgot. Taking time away from this blog was important to focus on "me time" and it seems to be a reflection of what is going on with me in my "real life".

So many times in my life I kept pushing through things that I absolutely hated because, well, it seemed like the right thing do; the responsible thing to do; the mature thing to do. Life seemed to be sour each year with the realization that I seemed to be going down a path that wasn't really making me happy. I filled it with work and when I wasn't working, I wasn't doing anything that had caught my interest years before. So I did the unthinkable; I quit.

Sooo, on the flip side of quitting:

I was unsure if it was the right thing to do; the responsible thing to do; or the mature thing to do. But, as you can imagine, my life has seemed to brighten each month with the realization that I am going down a path that is not a dead-end, or as the french say, a cul-de-sac :)

I have spent a lot of time reading books, listening to podcasts, going to church, getting connected within the community, and picking up my camera once more. I haven't had severe anxiety like I have had in the past because I have used this time to rest.

I know what you are probably thinking, "rest?! How can you rest? Aren't you wondering what you are going to do with your life now that you aren't working?"

The answer: Heck yes! I wonder, but wondering doesn't solve anything. I have used this time to rest in the Word, to rest in Him who gives me strength. He has reminded me over and over that if I abide in Him then He will abide in me.

I was an unhappy person. I wasn't a thankful person. I put on a good face (sometimes), but in reality I had a really ugly soul. I can't imagine quitting six months ago to hop right into another job. A job that may have looked great and been great, but I would have been the same, unhappy person. I don't need "another" job, but I do need a change of heart. I truly believe that people don't take enough time to heal themselves of their hurts so they become these "wounded healers" themselves. So I've taken the past six months off to just "hang" on to God because I have nothing to give until I get healthy and whole inside first.

My grandma, Dee Dee, sent me a few meditations that she had read and made her think of me. I read from one today and I think it fits perfectly to what God is teaching me and revealing to me in my life:

(In reference to Luke 10:41 - Jesus and Martha)

"...No, he wanted her to see that she had allowed anxiety and stress to control her more than simplicity and love. He wanted her to see that she lost her temper because she had lost her perspective. Jesus wants to speak to us just as he spoke to Martha. He wants to invite us to sit with him and receive his abundant love. At the same time, he wants to give us energy for the work he's called us to. May we all eat the Bread of life and then go out and give away what God has given us!"

Do you need to slow down and rest in Him?