let's stay together

ryan preached on sunday!

he did an awesome job. 

god did awesome things through him. 

i wish everyone we know could have heard the message out of his mouth but since you couldn't i'm bringing it to you. in english.

it's way worth the time it takes you to read it.  

i hope it encourages you as much as it did me. 

go hubs, i'm so proud to be your wife. 

go god for making ryan.

his message:

two weeks ago, laura and i were traveling in southern france with kyle as a last 'good-bye' to him. during our trip, i read a book called a million miles and a thousand years, by donald miller. he is a believer in jesus and has written a few books about the christian faith and his personal journey towards christ. one of those books, blue like jazz, is like a biography of his journey to faith in jesus. in a million miles and a thousand years two men come to donald with the idea to make a movie about blue like jazz. while they are discussing the possibility of making this film, he thinks to himself "is my life significant? am i living a significant life? if my life was made into a film, would people be interested? would they care?". these questions struck me too. 

i began to ask myself the same questions. is my life a good example of doing the things we've been challenged to do on this earth? what kind of story am i living out? what kind of stories are we telling our friends, spouses, children, grandchildren, etc. with the lives we are living? how can we live out better stories? how can we help the people we love to live better stories? 

miller writes the following: 'if you watched a movie about a guy who wanted a Volvo and worked for years to get it, you wouldn’t cry at the end when he drove off the lot, testing the windshield wipers. you wouldn’t tell your friends you saw a beautiful movie or go home and put a record on to think about the story you’d seen. the truth is, you wouldn't remember that movie a week later, except you’d feel robbed and want your money back. nobody cries at the end of a movie about a guy who wants a Volvo. but we spend years actually living those stories, and expect our lives to be meaningful. the truth is, if what we choose to do with our lives won't make a story meaningful, it won’t make a life meaningful either.'

so, if we are challenged to live a significant life, a better story, how do we do it? we are the protagonists of our stories. god has given us the possibility to choose the path for our life. i'm going to share 5 ideas from the book to encourage us to live better stories.

1. protagonists desire greatness. when i say greatness, i'm not saying importance or popularity. i mean greatness in the qualities for a christian life. greatness in love, greatness in joy, greatness in peace. jeremiah 29:11 says, "'for I know the plans I have for you,'declares the Lord, 'plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.'"god has a desire for us to live full lives. in john 16:24 jesus reminds us to ask in his name and "receive, and your joy will be complete." an example of a protagonist who desired a full life is the woman at the well in john 4. in verse 15 she said to jesus, "sir, give me this water so that i won’t get thirsty and have to keep coming here to draw water." we know that this woman hadn't lived a beautiful life, but now she desires a different life, a full life. she wanted the greatness that is only found in jesus. are we seeking to find the greatness that is only found in jesus?

2. protagonists make decisions. miller says, "a hero isn't a hero unless he makes a decision." a person who lazily watches their life pass by is not a protagonist. i wonder what the story of the apostles would have been like if they hadn't made the decision to follow jesus after he told them, "follow me". a follower of jesus can't remain neutral. we have to decide to follow or not follow. there isn't another option. jesus explains this clearly in luke 9:57-62. are you watching life pass you by? to live a significant story we must decide to follow jesus. following is active. 

3. protagonists face their fears. miller wrote, "the commandment repeated most frequently in scripture is do not fear. the bible says that more than 200 times. that means a couple of things, if you think about it. it means we are going to be afraid, and it means we shouldn't let fear boss us around." i can see times in my life where i have allowed fear to control me or prevent me from being a man full of the spirit of god. in my opinion, satan has a great advantage when he uses fear. he knows very well how to specifically use our fears and how they work differently for everyone. we cannot let him paralyze us in our fears. psalm 27:1 says, "the Lord is my light and my salvation — whom shall I fear? the Lord is the stronghold of my life — of whom shall I be afraid?". 2 timothy 1:7 says, "for God did not give us a spirit of timidity, but a spirit of power, of love and of self-discipline." 1 peter 3:13-14 says, "who is going to harm you if you are eager to do good? but even if you should suffer for what is right, you are blessed. do not fear what they fear; do not be frightened." i wonder, are we facing our fears or are we allowing our fears to create boring stories and boring lives? do not fear.

4. protagonists die. as followers of christ, we have to die to ourselves. galatians 2:20 says, "i have been crucified with Christ and i no longer live, but Christ lives in me. the life i live in the body, i live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me." don't sing the church song in your head, think about what those words really mean. no longer i live...but christ living in me... to live a great story, we have to die to ourselves. we have to realize that we are not here for ourselves, that part of us died. are we ready to sacrifice everything for our story? is it worth it to give up everything? an example that comes to mind for me is a woman who lives here in florence named stefania. at a time in her life she was homeless and living in the street with 4 children. day after day not knowing if she would be able to feed them. eventually by god's powerful hand, through the city of florence, she was given work and began building a material life for her children. later when she had a home and her children were grown, she thought about that time in her life when she didn't have anything. at that point she decided to give back for the help she had received. using basically all of her money she bought an abandoned building and began feeding and housing the poor and homeless in florence. she sacrificed everything. no longer i live...but christ living in me...

5. protagonists experience meaning. the author wrote this: "we live in a world where bad stories are told, stories that teach us life doesn't mean anything and that humanity has no great purpose. it's a good calling, then, to speak a better story." as christians we were called to live differently, in a way that has meaning for us and brings meaning to those around us. in ephesians 2:1-10 we see what our meaning is. verse 10 says, "for we are God’s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do." an example of a person who has found the meaning in his life is my student paolo. he was one of my first students when i got here almost 2 years ago. when we studied together it was really difficult to communicate and create a friendship. he's in the italian army and after our first semester was called to serve in the middle east. after several months, he returned to florence and called me immediately. i was shocked that he would even want to hear from me but i could hear in his voice that something had changed in him. we met soon after that conversation and he told me that he was tired of talking about jesus. he wanted to do in His name. from that moment we began to serve together. this guy who was difficult at first to even have a conversation with was challenging me to do something in jesus name. he experienced meaning. 

we are called to be in a story about something much greater than ourselves. we have to live lives full of love, joy, and peace; we have to make decisions; we have to face our fears; we have to die to ourselves; and we have to open our eyes to and experience the meaning god has placed in the world. my prayer for all of us is that we answer the call to act in the name of jesus and live a better story. no longer i live...but christ living in me...

i hope it inspires you to seek god's word and experience meaning there. and i hope god's word makes it impossible for you to be still or quiet or boring.

ps i read the book, a million miles and a thousand years, too while we were in france and it's super good. i suggest it. i'm on a reading kick, trying to make it a habit. it's so much better than tv. 

don't stop

i'm in the middle of reading of book by craig groeschel wierd: because normal isn't working. his little message at the beginning says: "this book is dedicated to everyone who is sick of normal and is ready for something better." 

he's talking to those of us who are realizing that just because something is normal or majority (even/especially in the christian community)that doesn't mean it is right, fulfilling or biblical. 

he focuses on the topics of time, money, relationships, sex, and values. he feels like in those areas as americans, we have stopped aiming towards right or biblical and our goal has just become normal. is that true? i kind of feel like it is. it's killing us, i think. and everyone seems too busy to be happy, myself included. 

so far the book is great. really challenging. i suggest it. let me know your thoughts if you decide to read it or already have. 

anyway, i wanted to share a piece that got me from the section about money. specifically about being rich. 

we must go from the normal mindset about money and wealth to a radically weird view: gratitude for all we have and stewardship of its use for the good of all. this shift requires us to break out of our usual consumer framework and place ourselves within a global perspective. if you earn thirty-seven thousand dollars a year, you are in the top 4 percent of all wage earners alive today - certifiably rich by anyone's definition. if you make forty-five thousand dollars a year or more, you are in the top 1 percent of wage earners in the world. in order to honor god with your wealth, you have to admit that you are rich. most people won't do that. it's not normal. 

i'm thinking a lot about this and practicing it. saying "i'm rich". i said it to my mom yesterday. it feels weird at first but it's true. i am. you probably are.

then he goes on to talk about giving and its really great. he talks about spontaneous, strategic and sacrificial givers. i want to be a sacrificial giver. 

like the dad gum believers in macedonia who paul says were "very poor" but their joy "overflowed in rich generosity". that doesn't even make sense! they "begged" paul for goodness sake to share their gift with the jerusalem church! what in the world? that is sacrificial giving. the thing is, i can't imagine that they were sitting around thinking about what it would look like in their lives if they gave in this weird way. it was an impulse. a reflex. i want to learn to give like this. like a stupid idiot. like i truly believe that it is more blessed to give than receive. like i would be happier giving than getting. 

the only way to learn that is to do it. pray for me as i do. 

a quote to end with: 

sure, it's weird to believe that it's more blessed to give than to receive. but it's also the most life-giving, eye-opening truth about money that we can ever learn. do whatever you have to do to make your eyes generous.  

against the wind

this is a special newscast (kyle's traveling tradition) for my grandmother "frankie".

i got kyle's photos from our france trip and realized that he had taken all the pictures with us in them. 

because it will make my mom and grandmother happy (they like faces not landscapes) i wanted to post some more france photos that we are actually in.  

after this, no more talking about france. or pictures. 

photo cred to kyle and his tripod. i just took some editing liberties.

those are flamingos in the background

showing him my flamingo feather

typical

ps we had an awesome night in town last night with some friends and then they came with us to talk with and feed the homeless. blessings all around. 

california dreamin'

we went to france with our friend kyle as one last european adventure with him before we move back to the states. we stayed in the national park of verdon gorge (biggest canyon in europe) and also visited the towns of avignon, arles, and cannes. we had so much fun and saw some incredibly beautiful things. we can't thank our families enough for making it possible for us to have this one last great fling in europe (for now).

just wanted to post some of my favorite photos from the week. 

sing a song

hi friends.


we have been having one whopper of a summer. probably why i haven't been at home blogging about it. 


most of what we did in the months of june and july can be summed up in these 3 videos:

florence vbs

catania vbs

summer camp

now, ryan and everyone at the bible school are doing intense renovation work at the bible school and i will be going the second half of this week to prepare their meals. 

in the meantime, we are helping plan a youth retreat and the big italy-wide church retreat that will be here in florence the last week of august. 

i can't believe that we are wrapping up our time here in italy for now. 

we fly home the first week of september. 

the goodbyes are awful. 

this summer in our bible study we've been looking at the work of the holy spirit and what that means for our lives. for "plans". for priorities. for time. it will look very different; from how we're living now and from a lot of stuff around us (if we're doing it right). even as i type that it doesn't sound right because if we're doing it right it will just be that we have surrendered completely and only the spirit is seen, we will be only a conduit. it's really nothing we will do at all. 

it's also not something i sprinkle into my comfy life. it turns everything i know upside down. it makes me incredibly uncomfortable. 

i have to admit, i'm scared. 

i'm scared about coming back to a life that is so comfortable. i'm scared that people around me will expect me to be the same person i was. i'm scared that people won't like the person i've become or the way i choose to spend my time. i'm scared that i will once again worry about money or worldly possessions and think they they have any significance in my life. i'm scared that the spirit will lead us to do something we don't want to do. honestly, i am. i'm scared that all those things will keep me from doing anything. 

but at the same time, i feel free. i know that for the spirit to show itself through me the way it is intended to, all i have to do is give up. give up everything i have and think i know or think i have control of. give up every day by asking god to put me in the situations he wants me to be in and taking the first step when he puts me there. i want the spirit to do things so crazy that people can't help but praise god because they know that i could never have done those things alone. like paul. like elijah with those prophets of baal. i want to walk in the spirit every minute of every day for the rest of my life. 

i kind of hate the title/word missionary because it implies that they are doing something other than what the other followers of jesus are/should be doing. it makes a dichotomy out of living like jesus. it makes talking about him an option. 

everyone of us who love and believe that he is the only way to life should be living like him, giving up our supposed control and asking the spirit to lead our lives. then when he does and he whispers in your ear to pick up those hitchhikers, we've got to do it, and intentionally. and we've got to treat our spouses right. and we've got to take care of those who can't take care of themselves. we've got to see the big picture. we've got to witness in our families. we've got to stop sectioning off our lives or saying we "need time for ourselves". we've got to understand that we are smaller than a pinpoint on the infinitesimal canvas of life that god is painting. but if we give our lives to the spirit he can make it something beautiful that makes sense in god's story. and and we've got to stop asking questions or wondering if it's smart to live this recklessly. satan will always be there comforting us with feelings that "the rational way is the right way" when we ignore those "crazy" callings of the spirit. life is too short. i won't do it.

i thank god that he sent us his spirit and that our lives were meant for so much more than anything we can imagine. i'm thankful for the mystery of the spirit and the beauty of knowing it's so grand that i'm not even made to understand it. i'm thankful for the grace that saves me and the loving god who laughs at me when i fall on my face but is just glad i'm trying. i'm thankful for the unconditionally loving family that he gave me and for their support. i'm thankful for prayer even when i don't know what to ask for. 

just let god's vastness and the fact that you can't understand him cause you to praise him. that's what i'm doing tonight. 

time of the season

well, the end of the school year is upon us and to celebrate another wonderful year with our students we had a big american cook out last friday night!


we made bbq chicken, potato and corn salads, baked beans, and cookies and ice cream galore! 


it was so much fun and at the end we had karaoke. we all sat outside together and the weather was perfect. it was the best way to end our last semester studying with our students. of course we will see them through the summer and continue our conversations but there is something so special about the set apart hour + every week that i know i will have with each student. i have learned so much from each wonderful woman that i have studied with and hope that our friendships will continue. thank you all for the blessing you have been in my life. 


here are some pictures from that fun night!

the bottom left picture is all the food that our students brought to donate to our food pantry at church! 

ryan and i with our students who came to the party

the next day on saturday some of us from florence went to a nearby city of prato for an evening devotional together with the church members there. ryan and anna (in the picture directly below) had been planning this for weeks with some of the members of the prato church and they did a great job! there were skits, wonderful singing and of course, fellowship. i was so proud and encouraged by the outreach and effort put in by this group! 

the summer schedule has already officially kicked in as the harding art group of students arrived friday. we will be preparing a lot of meals for them the rest of may and most of june. we are simultaneously planning for the vbs and camp and are getting excited about those things. july will be when we go to camp and then a time of renovating the bible school. august will be packed as we plan and organize for the nationwide church retreat that we will host in florence at the end of august. thank you for the continued prayers and encouragement as we try to finish strong with our work here. god is so good and he shows us his mercy and love daily. we are so blessed. 

say you love me

i'm gonna stop apologizing for the long distances between blog posts because that just means i'm out living life and don't have time to blog about it. 
just know that things are great, this semester is coming to a close, it's spring in florence, and god is so good (as always)! 


our spring has been full of so many fun and wonderful things, not the least of which was ryan's brother and his wife (donny and megan stephens) coming to visit us. i won't take you through their whole time here (because it was essentially a vacation for us) but we had a really fun and once-in-a-lifetime time together.


last weekend was another break from reality when we went with our friends to the casentino (the mountains where i learned to weave last summer). we rented scooters and rode all through the beautiful hills, mountains, forests, and fields of tuscany, we painted, we read, we laid in the grass, we cooked, we talked, we had church on top of a castle, we stayed in the most cute/cozy hamlet of a medieval castle; it was pretty blissful. the mountain towns of stia and porciano are some of my favorite places in italy we were so grateful to get to spend 4 more days in that dreamy and awe-inspring place.


this past weekend was another really great time. we went to a national church retreat. but we went a day early on thursday and on our way we made a small detour to southern italy (sorrento to be precise). the point was for peter bell to visit the church there to see if he had any interest in moving there. while he and david were doing this, me and the hubs (and some of the others) were on the "beach". you can hardly call the area of sorrento where the water meets the land a "beach" but there was salt water, sun and a sand like substance and it was good enough for us. don't think for one minute that i am bad-mouthing its lack of a beach, on the contrary, it just doesn't have a beach because it's practically a town built on a cliff overlooking the ocean and the bay of naples. let me demonstrate with some photos:

top - sorrento in the background
bottom - view from sorrento of it's bay, the bay of naples
and mt. vesuvius in the top left corner

lounging on the "beach"

top - our view from dinner
bottom - view from our hotel balcony

so, after walking around in town friday morning we left sorrento mid day friday and went to veletri where the retreat was.


all the speakers were incredible men of god from all over the church of italy (italian and american) and it was so encouraging and wonderful to get to be a part of what is happening and has been happening in the hearts and communities of so many strong and loving christians. 


some of my favorite topics of the weekend were "i am convinced that god keeps his promises" about the faith and example of abraham and the promises god kept to him; and "rediscovering our identity and role in the kingdom" about what the world needs from us for them to want to follow jesus. through this message, my eyes were opened to the thought that so much of the time we try to express god to others in our terms and terms that make us and others comfortable. but for others to understand jesus we have to recognize the relationship between the way god send jesus into the world and the way jesus sent us. we have to assume this mission the way jesus did: he left everything, he became less, he suffered, he accepted god's will, he absorbed injustice, he accepted shame and guilt, and he died. whoa. i'm still absorbing this message and figuring out how this relationship changes the way i live.


needless to say, the weekend was very challenging in matters of the heart and soul but at the same time very refreshing to spend time with old friends and meet new ones. it's always great to see the friends we've met through this journey in italy and spend time catching up with them, sharing, and just having fun together. 

boys

fellowship

girls

little friends - obviously being zombies in the second picture

i can't thank god enough for the ways he blesses our lives and the people he uses to do that. when i'm aware of it, i see him every where. it's so beautiful to see his plan work it's way out and i just pray for humility to stay his path and not make my own. thank you for all your love and support and continue to pray for the things we having coming up this summer.