Go. Be. Do.

 Matanuska Glacier Get another great view at Home Is Where You Start From .

"There is no one like the God of Jeshurun, who rides on the heavens to help you and on the clouds in his majesty."                                                     Deuteronomy 33:26 One of my favorite parts (as if there's a non favorite part) of serving in Alaska is the "getting there" part.  The flight to AK is so cool!  The sun has never set on a flight I've taken to Anchorage.  This is a good thing because the closer you get to landing, the better the scenery below you is to behold.  Only one out of three flights has it been too cloudy to take in the snow covered mountains and glacier blue ice as we flew over them.  I love how you can be looking at the clouds and see one off in the distance that doesn't quite look right...only to realize that "pointed" cloud is actually a snow capped mountain.  The first sighting of a "pointed cloud" still brings out the kid in me.  I know what's coming next and I sit up and watch out

Find other summer treats over at Home Is Where You Start From .

"We know, dear brothers and sisters, that God loves you and has chosen you to be his own people. For when we brought you the Good News, it was not only with words but also with power, for the Holy Spirit gave you full assurance that what we said was true. And you know of our concern for you from the way we lived when we were with you."                           1 Thessalonians 1:4-5 There's no easy answer to why Alaska holds the top spot in my heart for missions.  Statisically, Alaska is the most unchurched State.  Spiritually speaking, the act of reaching others with the Gospel just isn't being fully accomplished by the Alaska local church as a whole.  Personally, I know it's totally a God thing because I'm a warm weather, the hotter the better, kind of gal.  Except where Alaska is concerned. Some things are just WOW kinds of things... W illingness to go and do whatever it is God is asking you to do.  Showing O bedience by following through in what He's

Two snippets of songs keep running through my mind this morning... "I'm leavin' on a jet plane..." and "North, to Alaska!  Going North, the rush is on..." In only a matter of hours now I'm off to the airport for my fourth journey to Alaska to volunteer with GraceWorks, a mission organization taking the Gospel to and meeting needs of people in innercity Anchorage and beyond. My journey to Alaska begins well before July 2008 when I first traveled to Anchorage...it actually begins in October 2007 and before, but that is a good place to start. We had our annual missions conference at Grace in October and I shared with a group of people one morning that God has given me a desire to find a mission trip for our youth to go on and asked for prayer concerning this. I was a youth leader at the time. Later on, I thought I had found just the trip...a trip to Mississippi to help with community cleanup still remaining from Katrina. It would happen over spring

Thinking over this week's theme, knowing I'm about to leave for Alaska on Wednesday, I was reminded of this photo taken on my second mission trip to inner city Anchorage.  It tended to be rainy each day that week (that seems to be the story of each trip I take there), but we made the most of it.  And, even if the sun wasn't shining, these children were all I needed to smile and carry on with the mission inbetween the rain showers. The children are my sunshine in Alaska! Who do you sing that catchy little tune to?  Share your photos over at Jen's challenge!

I have been recently reminded of the importance of my investment in others...strangers, friends, family, God. A genuine investment.  Not fleeting.  Not pressured.  Not insincere.  A timeless investment. Not counted.  Not measured.  Not compared.   God has no lapse in His care...His love...His joy for me.  "The L ORD is good, a stronghold in a day of distress; He cares for those who take refuge in Him."   Nahum 1:7 "Give thanks to the LORD, for He is good; His faithful love endures forever."   1 Chronicles 16:34 "And the ransomed of the L ORD will return and come to Zion with singing, crowned with unending joy.  Joy and gladness will overtake them, and sorrow and sighing will flee."   Isaiah 51:11 My ability to care for and love others is limited.  I falter at being consistently aware of others' needs, sorrows, and even their joys in life.  I'm talking epic failure, here.  Nothing makes me more aware of my own failures than when I

As the rain and the snow come down from heaven, and do not return to it without watering the earth and making it bud and flourish, so that it yields seed for the sower and bread for the eater, so is my word that goes out from my mouth: It will not return to me empty, but will accomplish what I desire and achieve the purpose for which I sent it. You will go out in joy and be led forth in peace; the mountains and hills will burst into song before you, and all the trees of the field will clap their hands. Isaiah 55:10-12 Every year whether I've been a camper or a staff member there are butterflies in my stomach as I arrive at camp.  What's in store for the week?  What does God want from me this week?  How will I fit in?  How can I best serve Him and others this week?  Oh, the list of questions go on and on...sometimes to include, Who am I that I'm here? God is so good to answer some of my questions right away. Monday evening was all about getting there and settled in and cat

He spreads out the northern skies over empty space; he suspends the earth over nothing. He wraps up the waters in his clouds, yet the clouds do not burst under their weight. He covers the face of the full moon, spreading his clouds over it. He marks out the horizon on the face of the waters for a boundary between light and darkness. The pillars of the heavens quake, aghast at his rebuke. By his power he churned up the sea; by his wisdom he cut Rahab to pieces. By his breath the skies became fair; his hand pierced the gliding serpent. And these are but the outer fringe of his works; how faint the whisper we hear of him! Who then can understand the thunder of his power?”  Job 26:7-14 Sunday evening, after a day on the lake...and I do mean an entire day...we loaded up and went into Evert for their fireworks.  Man, does that little town in the middle of northern MI know how to put on a show!  It put any fireworks that I've seen in the Atlanta area (and pretty much anywhere else, too)

"Then King David went in, sat in the L ORD 's presence, and said, 'Who am I, Lord G OD , and what is my house that You have brought me this far? What You have done so far was a little thing to You, Lord G OD , for You have also spoken about Your servant's house in the distant future. And this is a revelation for mankind, Lord G OD. What more can David say to You? You know Your servant, Lord G OD . Because of Your word and according to Your will, You have revealed all these great things to Your servant.'"  2 Samuel 7:18-21 The past couple of days since arriving home from a two week roadtrip have been very relaxing for the body, but very active for my mind.  Recalling everyone visited, things accomplished, God's fingerprint over every moment...it still brings me to tears.  Each hour I am back home, I think of something else that happened and thank my Heavenly Father again and again and again for His goodness of allowing me the experiences of the past two