The Birds of the Air

So much to write! But this will probably be my last blog for a week or so... depending.

Since we've been here, I have been a bit stressed (understatement) about buying my plane tickets for my time in Europe and surviving financially this summer. I meant to keep a healthy chunk in savings for when I returned, but at this point that's just not going to happen. It looks more like I'll have almost nothing when I return. Not the best feeling in the world. Anyway, all this was weighing on my mind Sunday morning when Claire took Isaac and I to church at an extension of Hillsong.

I was sitting, listening to the sermon, when the pastor told us to turn to Matthew 4:4. He answered, "It is written, 'Man shall not live and be upheld and sustained by bread alone, but by every word that comes forth from the mouth of God.'" I read the verse again and stopped listening to the pastor. Then I read it again. It sent me reeling, honestly. Here I have been worried about my food, my bills, how I will live; and as simplistic and basic as all these things are, they are not what I need to be sustained. I am upheld by Christ alone, "for in Him we live and move and have our being." (Acts 17:28) "I know how to be abased and live humbly in straitened circumstances, and I also know how to enjoy plenty and live in abundance. I have learned in any and all circumstances the secret of facing every situation, whether well-fed or going hungry, having a sufficiency and enough to spare or going without and being in want. I have strength for all things in Christ Who empowers me [I am ready for anything and equal to anything through Him Who infuses inner strength into me; I am self-sufficient in Christ's sufficiency.]" (Phil 4:12-13)

Also, I have been worrying about things that are months yet in advance! All that I need for this present moment, God has provided ("great is Thy faithfulness, Lord, unto me!"), so the best thing to do is simply trust God for what I need, and thank Him for His provision this day. "Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father keeps feeding them. Are you not much more valuable than they?" (Matt 6:26)

I guess, when it comes down to it, I hate being broke. But God in His goodness has reminded me once again that my treasure lies in Him and that HE is my sustainer. Part of me feels like a fool for doing this "mission work" and depleting my cash supply, but another thing that He reminded me is that it's not my money. I believe He has laid these journeys on my heart, and I know from experience that He is a God of plenty. Perhaps I need to read God's Smuggler by Brother Andrew again.

Please understand that I am simply sharing how God is working in my heart and growing me up in Him. I hesitate to write/talk about financial struggles, because I don't ever want to guilt people about giving money. This blog is not a plea for cash - it is simply a heartfelt praise of God's faithfulness in my life. He is set on bringing me into greater trust in Him! What a wonderful Savior! What a glorious Lord!

Summer and winter

And springtime and harvest,

Sun, moon and stars

In their courses above

Join with all nature

In manifold witness

To Thy great faithfulness,

Mercy and love

Great is Thy faithfulness!

Great is Thy faithfulness!

Morning by morning

New mercies I see!

All I have needed

Thy hand hath provided

Great is Thy faithfulness,

Lord, unto me!

The Adventures of a Blonde at Sea

Friday was delightful. Claire had to work the first part of the day, so she dropped off Isaac and I at the beach with her friends (Chris, Derek, and Derek's brother Anthony). Chris is half Malaysian, half Scottish, and has a Scottish accent. Derek and his brother are from Manitoba, so it was fun being around some Canadians again, eh. We all drove over to Shelly Beach and hung out, eh. Ok-eh, I'll stop. :P Ike played volleyball with the guys, then watched the stuff while Chris and Derek snorkeled. Anthony and I decided to swim while we waited for the others to be done with the snorkel gear. I didn't mention to him that it was my first time actually swim-swimming in the ocean. It was very pleasant, although I admit I kept feeling really panicky about sharks every so often (I also didn't tell him that). I suppose it's all about what you're used to, because I wouldn't bat an eyelash at bear. But then, I'd not mess with a mountain lion. Maybe they are the mountain equivalent for jellyfish? Anyway, we went in, then the others gave us the snorkel stuff. I honestly was not to hot on the idea, but they were all so enthused that I doubted I would get out of it, so I pretended to be excited, instead.

Anthony was, I suppose, a good enough teacher - even though I'm sure some things got lost in the Candadian/American translation. Crucial things. Like, "Don't try to breathe underwater." Things like that. :)

At any rate, we got the gear on and headed out. My mask was foggy and hurt my head. The whole idea of having my face in the water was weirding me out, too, and I felt really out of breath for the first few minutes. Did I mention that I didn't actually want to do this? So I finally get my breathing down, and Anthony dove down underwater. I followed... and I really don't know what my thought process was, but somehow I concluded that I could breathe IN underwater.

I inhaled. :) My mouth filled with savory, delicious saltwater! Okay, not really. I nearly puked, to be honest. Surfacing, I spat water and coughed, and thought with horror that I had swallowed some! I floated there, struggling, coughing, hacking, feeling like an idiot and truly scared of what would now happen to my insides from swallowing sea-water, haha.

Anthony tried to help, but I couldn't get my mask back on, and it was fogged up, and while trying to swim to the rocks to rest for a moment my wrist got scraped on something and started bleeding. ("I'm shark food now, I guess," I thought.) Then I couldn't stand up because of my flippers, and then the waves were knocking me over... did I mention that I wasn't keen on doing this in the first place? Yeah... well, we finally got me straightened out (not before I fell over a few times first) and headed out again.

This time went much better, and even though I still felt sick from the salt water (and my mask fogged up again), all went well. I finally concentrated on the fish and stuff, and when we headed in we saw a huge ol' sea snail. So I guess that made it all worth it. I had trouble getting out of the water - seriously, it was ridiculous how helpless I was. I kept falling over, haha. But when we were out and walking toward Isaac again, Anthony told me, "You did well for a mountain girl." Even though I knew he was just being nice, I felt a little better.

Chris, Derek, Anthony, Isaac and I all walked around for the rest of the afternoon. I got ice cream. <sigh> There is nothing like ice cream, hey? It's just such a nice refreshing treat. The weather was perfect and there were warm breezes here and there. My heart kept jumping like it does every now and then at Camp Good News while I sit on the steps and soak in the glory. Then Isaac and I took the ferry to Circular Quay to meet Claire and change clothes for our show.

The Opera House was beautiful. The show (Tchaikovsky and Brahms) was beyond amazing. I felt SO sleepy, though, that I didn't feel like I fully appreciated the performance. But regardless, it was amazing and beautiful. I think I like Tchaikovsky better than Brahms, but each performance was breath-taking and full of loveliness. Afterwards we walked around the Opera House, took pictures, and just soaked in the lingering splendour and magic. Then we walked about Circular Quay for a long time and chatted. It was lovely.

We had to take the train to Claire's car, so while on it, Claire and I listened to classical music on my iPod. I was pretty tired and slept for the car ride home... but I woke up when we arrived, and didn't go to bed without trying my first Tim Tam ever. It was delicious, if you're wondering. :)

It was an amazing day. Matchless, really.

Coming up next, how God is at work in my heart on this lovely trip. :)

Thin Places

Well, the last days have been jam-packed and SO nice. Our first day here we had lunch with Claire, then went home to unpack and shower after the looooong flight. I was so confused about the date. We left on the sixth and arrived on the eight, and only traveled for about 20 hours total (including our four hr layover in Fiji)... so that doesn't quite add up, and I'm thinking there might have been a picktimepocket on the plane. :/

Anyway, after we were all cleaned up, Claire took us out to Palm beach where we experienced Australian beaches for the first time. The water was deliciously warm and the sand was cool and deep. We walked around, waded a bit, played on some rocks, then climbed a path to a magical road and walked till dark. The air was full of sweet summertime, and crickets were chirping. I felt as if I were walking in a poem, or Narnia, or a dream. It was one of those thin moments where the lines between the eternal and the temporal were so thin that the two bled into each other, making the ordinary heavenly and the heavenly seem ordinary.

On the 10th Claire took  Isaac and I up to the Royal National Park, along with Stiki (her sister) and Luke (a friend). The drive up was beautiful, as was the National Park itself. I didn't get any pictures, because I lent my camera card to Isaac.

We took a hike up the shore trail, and Luke and I made up all sorts of Australian history and biological facts. We came across bunches of "edible plants" that Luke insisted were "best if you just eat the whole thing at once. Stuff it all in." We also happened upon a "Native American Structure" and plenty else. Claire informed me that the bananas really grow under the plant, as a root - like a potato! Yes, and Luke told us many other things - like about the Qantas animals (similar to Kangaroos), which bound from tree to tree, only REALLY high and far! They have pouches to carry humans, and it's much easier and more comfortable than traveling by kangaroo. Kangaroos are a lot slower and can only carry small people (unless you use two - one foot in each - and that gets really awkward if they don't jump in unison).

When we arrived at our destination - the cliffs - Claire and I had a long talk about the last couple of years. It's been about two years since we saw each other last, and although we've kept each other updated about the main points, there were lots of details to catch up on. We've both grown up a lot since that year of Ravencrest. The setting was pretty unforgettable - a good friend and good conversation at the top of some high cliffs, with waves crashing down below - so far that it made you a little dizzy to lay on the edge and look over.

When we were done talking, we hiked back with the others and took our remaining food down to a hidden beach. The scenery was like a movie. Everything seemed surreal: from the deep, crashing waves right in front of us to the still water and jungle-y trees behind. We walked through the sand and some park-like trees to a hidden lake. There was magic in the air the whole time. I wouldn't have been surprised to run across the middle of a story, or a mythical creature. I think I must have been glowing. The air was. Another thin place, I suppose.

Finally we headed out... but not without getting lost first! That was a little alarming (mostly because it was dark), but we found our way shortly, so all was well.

When we got home, Claire and I talked a bunch more before bed, then fell into dreamland.

There's lots more coming... for example - Christy's first time snorkeling! Stay tuned. :)

Farewell, Texas :(

It is hard to believe how much has happened since I last blogged, but I'll put forth a bit of effort at covering the important things.

The last week with Isaac and Kendra was lovely, of course. I put off thinking about my departure for as long as possible, because I so very disliked the idea of leaving.

My last Sunday at Stone Gate (Isaac and Kendra's church) was wonderful. The teaching is so solid. It was a feast for my soul. :) After church a girl (Krista) walked up to me (I think I'd met her before, but I was meeting so many people that I'm afraid I forgot a lot) and invited me to join the singles home group that evening. I thought I might as well, so that evening I headed out to find the place of meeting. I listened to a Tim Keller sermon on the way out, and in the sermon Keller talked about sin as "finding our identity in anything apart from God". I enjoyed listening, but soon I arrived and had to go in.

The funny thing was that as soon as I walked into the house, I became completely self-aware. I was totally conscious of the impression I might or might not be making. I said stupid things - oh, so many stupid things! I stumbled all over my words and felt like an awkward and clumsy fool. I was completely self-absorbed.

Mind you, home group was fantastic. The discussion was great, the people were friendly and very welcoming, and I felt wanted and cared for. But regardless of all this, I still felt out of place. After finally blundering my way out the door, I thought, "Oh goodness! That was awful!" I immediately started to review in my mind all my actions and the things I should have done differently. Then, without really thinking, I broke into song, "All I have needed, thy hand hath provided! Great is thy faithfulness, Lord, unto me." Then, realizing the words I was singing, a sudden relaxation broke over me. I breathed a sigh of relief. Well, if they all liked me, that was fine! And if they didn't, so what? My identity lies in Christ, and in Him rests my security. I watched happily as my idol of acceptance toppled and broke into fine dust. I was no longer self-absorbed, but simply resting in One who is better. The rest of the evening was lovely. I drove home, then Isaac, Kendra and I all talked about the Gospel for two straight hours. It was a good way to end the day.

Hadi and I made a great connection during my last couple weeks there. We played cards for a long time one evening, and that seemed to do it. She especially liked the 52 Card Pick Up. For those of you who aren't aware, this simply involves letting the cards fly at Hadi until there are all fifty-two of them on the floor to pick up. Hadi and I also made up a joke that she is my mommy. She was a mean mommy - always sticking her tongue out at me if I cried, or running away if I said, "Hold me, mommy!" Anyway, it was great fun. :)

The rest of the week was a blur of good times in the ice and snow of Dallas. There were visits with Garrett (my dear Texan brother and fellow Ravencrest student) and with Tim and Sarah; my good-bye dinner; walks in the icy moonlight with the kids; lots of potato soup; a visit with Kendra's grandma... and I know I'm missing something else. It was a lovely final week in Dallas.

Saying good-bye was hard. I won't talk about it much. Just suffice it to say that I am really grateful for Isaac, Kendra, Tirzah, Joseph and Hadassah and for the roles they played in my life - especially last month. Thank you, dear Vancil family! "I thank God upon my every remembrance of you." (Philippians 1:3)

I spent most the day in a plane on Saturday, February 10th. When I finally arrived in San Jose and saw my mom and dad and Candi, it was a wonderful relief. We drove down to Amy and Nick's and had dinner there, and spent the night at Ann and Darren's house. It was lovely to have a bit of time with my family before taking off again.

Then I flew to Australia with Isaac.

Alright... so it was a bit more exciting than just that, and lots of terrific things have happened since then. Details are coming up!