Changed My Life

The World Race changed my life, that's no big secret.  However, there are lots of other small things along the way that were part of changing my life.  I want to pass them on to you.  I guarantee even 1 of the things below will change your life, your view of God, and your view of yourself.

Music - (not your typical Christian radio music)
Jonathan David Helser - you can listen to them in the right column
Misty Edwards
Rick Pino
Jesus Culture
Kim Walker
Jake Hamilton

Books
The Supernatural Power of a Transformed Mind - Bill Johnson
The Supernatural Ways of Royalty - Kris Vallotton
The Heavenly Man - Brother Yun
The Shack - Wm. Paul Young (ok, I was skeptical, but man does he nail this!)
The Name of Jesus - Kenneth E. Hagin
The Final Quest - Rick Joyner
The Bondage Breaker - Neil T. Anderson

Podcasts
Bethel Church - Redding, CA (Bill Johnson)
Best of Kris Vallotton - Redding, CA
Graham Cooke
Anthony Chapman - Especially the 4 Part "A New Covenant" Series
Jennifer Toledo

Study
The God Story (36 Part Series) - studies the entire story of the Bible and the continuous themes

The Story of the Car

I didn't ask for much, just a car.

I didn't ask for a Corvette, a BMW, or even a Lexus, but I was specific.  My daydreams were full of shiny Honda CR-Vs rolling thru the snow, packed for camping trips, or driving across country with good company.  I was a "hopelessly optimistic realist," as a good friend puts it.  That is my current dream car - not overly big yet perfect for the snow and the outdoors.  I'm a simple girl...I like to think.

Problem #1 - no car.  I start dreaming.  Problem #2 - I'm a poor missionary daydreaming of a car.  My solution?  I began throwing up some prayers.  My Heavenly Father says he owns the cows on 1,000 hills, what's a car to him?  I've heard some pretty great stories of provision this past year.  I absolutely needed a car, and I absolutely did not have the money for one.  Part of my solution is also a lovely place called craigslist.  And I find this car, which meets all the items on my checklist.  And it's green.  The icing on the cake.

Problem #3 - It's out of my price range, yet I test drive it and fall in love.  So I make an offer.  It's the best offer that I can afford and that (hopefully) doesn't offend the guy.  It's the exact sum of money I have set aside for the car plus the check I have coming in the mail.  He accepts!  I'm a new car owner.

Hold on, it gets better.

We show up to buy the car.  My dad comes along this time.  Turns out, car guy and my dad have worked together for 18 years.  Car guy continues to tell my dad that someone offered him the same amount the day before I saw the car, yet car guy didn't accept it.  For whatever reason he took the same offer the next morning.  Car guy insists this car was, for whatever reason, meant to be mine.  

Did I mention that this car is in pristine condition?  Low mileage, one careful owner, I mean even the engine is absolutely spotless!  (No, seriously, it is.)

Turns out, God is pretty sovereign.  Even when it comes to cars.  

Glacier in All it's Glory

Re-entry has been rough, let me tell you.

*10 days with the family and scrumptious pasta
*Being blessed with a 2004 (green, go figure) Honda CR-V
*3 lovely weeks in the Tetons with the wonderful boyfriend
*4 day trip to one of the most beautiful places on earth....Glacier Nat'l Park

The trip was planned.  The gear was packed.  Hikes were chosen.  We drove all 8+ hours from Wyoming to Montana.  We finally arrived.  We were stoked.  Then...it rained.  It poured at times.  We even woke up to being snowed into our tent with condensation dripping from the roof.  September 18th I had my first snow.  I just spent the year in 90+ degree weather, why wait?  (Don't worry, we went in search of a hotel that morning.)

Rain and snow had never made the agenda.  In fact, rain and snow changed the entire agenda.  Camping was done for.  Our 1 must-do hike was now covered in several feet of snow.  Roads were closed.  Clouds blew in periodically covering the mountain views.  Almost every plan we had was altered.

Yet I wouldn't trade it for anything.

Fall colors were made even more vibrant by the rain.  Waterfalls that had grown dormant and dry during the summer were now alive and rushing 1000s of feet down mountainsides.  The crisp air brought a quickening in our step (literally, at times.)  Snow-covered pine trees rejuvenated my love of seasons and wonder.

It was if God had brought the entire park alive for us.  As if he wanted us to marvel at him one more time.  As if he was saying, "I'm a God of intimate details and beauty.  Watch me take something small and insignificant as rain drops to bring life to an entire valley.  Let me show you a different view - something unexpected but lovely."

"If you want to make God laugh, tell him your plans."  I used to believe that was true.  I think he chuckles at the smallness of our plans and dreams, but I don't believe he's a God who dashes to pieces all of our dreams and plans just because they are ours.  I believe he's a God who loves to dream with us - the way best friends dream about road trips, the way couples dream about kids and romantic getaways, the way kids dream about being firefighters and librarians (ok, so maybe I was the only kid who wanted to be a librarian...)

I no longer call you servants, because a servant does not know his master's business. Instead, I have called you friends, for everything that I learned from my Father I have made known to you. You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you to go and bear fruit—fruit that will last. Then the Father will give you whatever you ask in my name.  John 15:15-16

God is a dreamer, and us being made in his image (essence) makes us dreamers.  Bill Johnson calls this co-laboring.  We dream together with God.  Often God doesn't tell us that our dreams stink but instead tells us that they're not big enough.  He wants to make them greater, grander, more beautiful and full of life.  As a very small example of this, God took our dream of mountains, hikes, and camping and made it more beautiful and adventuresome than I had imagined.

In a larger way, he's telling me my dream of traveling the world in missions for 1 year wasn't big enough.  My desires for travel and for the nations were placed in me for a reason.  That's where he desires to use me.  That's where I was created to experience life to the fullest.

So next time you dream, boldly take it before your King.  See how he wants to shape it, mold it, make it grander.  He created you for life to the fullest, and he's already filling you with the potential to have that life...