today, though, my stomach is all in knots and my brain is frazzled because i’m working on an application for a job that i.really.want.

today, despite the nerves and still-unsettled-ness in my life, i’m confident.  because, more than ever, i appreciate my friends and their effect on my life.  i’m extending that word to include the family and loved ones in my life who are also friends to me.  without each of these people, i wouldn’t be who i am.

without you, today would be just another.

acts 16:6-15

(all quotes from the NET Bible translation)

early on in college, i took a trip to europe.  our group followed roughly the path that paul “the missionary formerly known as saul” (see, i made a bible joke!  i love bible jokes…) took on his second missionary journey.  after receiving his calling to enter macedonia, which could be a whole thirsty thursday post in itself, his first stop (aside from the port-town of neapolis) was philippi.  the town holds special significance in my own spiritual journey.

i don’t think it’s by chance that paul uses some specific terms in addressing the church in philippi: “because of your participation in the gospel from the first day until now” (philippians 1:5, emphasis added).  these were some of the first believers that paul encountered in macedonia!

it seems the focus of the letter is how to “conduct yourselves in a manner worthy of the gospel of Christ…” (philippians 1:17a)  like it or not, behavior is central to a Christian lifestyle.  like it or not, i am held accountable to this standard of being worthy or unworthy of the very message i proclaim.

honestly, paul was a skilled wordsmith, and i can’t think of anything i want to add to the passage that really comes off the page at me today as a severe challenge:

“finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is worthy of respect, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if something is excellent or praiseworthy, think about these things.  and what you learned and received and heard and saw in me, do these things.  and the God of peace will be with you.” (philippians 4:8-9)

what about you?  is there a passage in philippians that stands out to you this week?  any area in which you think God might be challenging you?

david: FC2PO = fire controlman 2nd class petty officer.  that’s his rate (job) and rank.  for those familiar with the broader ranking system, he’s an E5.  he works with the self-defense weapons computers on the ship.  and he’s really good at it.  he’s been in the navy just a few days over 4 years, and he has just a few days less than 2 years left.  he’s currently stationed on CVN-70, the USS Carl Vinson.  it’s a nuclear powered aircraft carrier, nimitz-class.  it just recently changed home-ports from norfolk, va to san diego, ca.

me: i’m a newbie navy wife, and blindly feeling my way around the maze of terms and customs.  going (and deciding to never go again) to an frg (family readiness group) meeting.  learning that when david says something about “casualties,” it most likely has nothing to do with loss-of-life, but refers to a broken something-or-other in the work station.  i’m realizing i’ll never ever get used to him leaving and coming home again.  and i’m figuring out how to navigate a new town, befriend other navy wives, and feel at home in an empty house.

while the journey has already been harder than i have admitted to anyone besides myself, i know that i’d rather be where i am in life than anywhere else.  learning the ropes (oh, that pun was GOOD) is necessary, but also deeply meaningful.  more than anything, i’m discovering what it means to truly invest in someone else’s life and needs.

and maybe soon i’ll have a job of my own that i’ll learn from or an opportunity to work towards a career goal, butfor now i’ll keep taking my lessons from my sailor, his ship, and my dear navy friends.  because, while learning a new language (navy-speak) won’t help me much later on in life, the other skills i’m developing are essential to living a healthy life here and anywhere else in the world.

my brother james left for basic about a year ago.  some go through immense shock, pride, sadness, or any other given emotion when someone they love joins the military.  i’m not sure if i’ll ever know why, but it just seemed natural to me.  i didn’t experience much of a strong emotion when he “dropped me off” at my internship in virginia, because… well, because i’m confident in him.

and i still am.  sure, there are plenty of other emotions, pride included.  but mostly, i’m confident.  he has a good head on his shoulders, and he’s grounded.  even as he prepares to leave for a deployment in the middle east.  and if i could pick one (okay, two) thing(s) to pray for this week, it’s that God will move in jim’s life during this time of challenge and danger, and that he’d allow me to both be there for my brother before he leaves AND be here… for my husband as he comes home (i hope) from cruise this week.

because if there’s one thing i know about myself, it is simply this:

i love strongly.  both.  all.

here’s to the military, and all those who serve – but especially those close to my heart.

love,

1. Our mattress – it isn’t much of a bed, yet, since there’s no frame at all (don’t get me started on the frame we ordered BEFORE we left Nebraska).
2. Friendly Grounds – lovely coffee shop that has live music at least once a week, a bulletin board with prayer requests / praise reports, baklava cookies and muffins, and coupons at the counter for free hugs.
3. Sunshine and great weather!  (And a huge TV for when I’m tired of the wonderful outdoors.)
4. Lots of places to go – everything is so close!
5. Save the most important for last: David lives here, too.  In our house.  Most of the time.  I like that.  Lots.

love,

the place has a bulletin board for prayer requests, coupons for free hugs at the counter, and an awesome barista whom i love already. she’s currently making me a zebra mocha. see? love.

and oddly enough, it reminds me of psalm 23. have i told you about psalm 23 yet? ’cause i saw the psalm in action during my time in israel. desolate-looking land that the shepherds roam, still. the green pastures? they’re tufts of rough grass, scattered on the sides of an unforgiving landscape. the still waters? pools of rainwater from who-knows-when-it-last-rained-there. it isn’t nebraska-green, lush and beautiful. it’s just enough to survive. but… my cup overflows. the psalmist wasn’t talking about abundance – just describing how god provides his needs.

and, as i walk up to the counter to pick up my frothy beverage, i’m reminded that god is taking care of my needs, too. even if it’s something as silly as having a place to go for a bit of social interaction that is oh-so-needed.

love,

As a side-note, I absolutely love the flaughter pics in this icon.  I just can’t help exclaiming that every time I see it.  Grin.

Are you ready for this joke?  It’s a slam-bang-awesome ending to this wonderful week of non-stop posting and wonderfulness here at Love.  Are you sure you’re ready?  Okay, here goes.

So, there’s this little fishy named Fred.  He’s a brave little fishy, but he missed the memo about migrating to the spawning grounds.  Oops!  Anyway, he frantically starts swimming upstream, trying to catch up with the rest of the fishies.  He’s a fast one, that Fred.  He swims and swims for hours, not catching a glimpse of his friends.  Being such a brave and fast fishy, he dodges river rocks like a car in an action film, jumps over logs like it’s his second nature.  But then, he gets to a really tricky part.  Woosh, he swerves around a huge rock.  Woah!  He ducks under a branch.  And wham!  He runs into a big wall and yells….

Dam!

…

With a smile and lots of love,

It’s your turn, today.

I would love to hear some things that have been on your mind lately.  Like the verses that are speaking to your heart, or a characteristic you recently noticed about yourself.  How about sharing something meaningful that someone has done for you in the last week?  It’s your choice.  But I want to hear it from you.  This is a roll call.

Love,

In all honesty, I have been spiritually in the grays lately.  I pray wholeheartedly about many things, I study the Word (mostly for class) on a regular basis.  I think that living in a world of everyone-is-a-Christian has dulled me a bit; it has made me slightly cynical.

I miss the green in my life – actively growing from experience.

The reds, too – being fed up with how Satan interferes with God’s work; fighting spiritual battles with body mind and soul happens in much subtler ways, now.

Blue… blue is a great spiritual color.  Being absolutely filled with Living Water – Scripture and Spirit, both actively working in and through me.  I study Scripture and I experience the work of the Spirit, but not to the extent that I have in some places and times in my life.

My crayon box spilled, I think.  The blue crayon rolled under one of my textbooks, and the green one got buried under survival-mode.  I would like to pick them up and start using them again, to continue coloring the kid-drawing version of His masterpiece idea… but I think I might be stuck with my pencil in hand until I can make it through this semester.  Because I’m still working.  I’m drawing the outline that needs to be colored in later on.

What is one of your favorite Spiritual colors?  Feel free to add to my starter-list of ideas.  (Can you tell I am a very visual person?  Can ya?)