Spring has arrived!

Can it be true? Spring in February? 

The rain is falling and my garden is growing! Trees are blossoming and birds are singing! I guess Spring comes a bit earlier here in San Diego :)

Thrifting

It was SALE weekend at Frock You, a vintage thrift store in San Diego. I was smart this time around and shopped early and scored a couple of great deals. I'm wearing the blue knit dress today, despite the overcast skies...

 LOVE LOVE LOVE

The PERFECT Fit

I also picked up a pink skirt for $3! The blue dress was $15...a little on the high end, but I couldn't resist! Both are fabulous additions to the spring wardrobe here in San Diego!

If you haven't shopped at a thrift or consignment shop recently, I recommend giving it a shot! 

Sunset Cliffs

I was home from work unusually early and the sunset was extra motivation to muster up the extra energy for a run...here's the view from the cliffs, enjoy!

and a little something to think about, “The world says “seeing is believing,” but God wants us to believe in order to see.”

Citizen of the Kingdom

Matthew 5 – The Beatitudes

Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven

Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted

Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth

Blessed are those who thirst and hunger for righteousness, for they will be filled

Blessed are the merciful, for they will be shown mercy

Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God

Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called sons of God

Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven

Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me. Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you.

                I attended a couple sessions of a mission conference entitled, World Madate West, this past weekend at All Peoples Church in San Diego. I was invited by a friend from school who thought I would be interested because I had a heart for missions. I don’t remember having a specific conversation with her about my passion for missions, but it is true. My thoughts frequently rest on people around the world from my time spent building relationships with people in Basque Country, Uganda, the Dominican Republic and Mexico. I have always had a dream to be on the mission field on a global level. Initially, I thought that medicine would be my door into different areas of “unreached people groups,” a term that I picked up during my Perspectives on the World Christian Movement class a few years ago. An unreached people is a people group which has no indigenous community of believing Christians with adequate numbers and resources to finish evangelizing their community without further outside/cross-cultural assistance (kind of technical, I know).

                The Great Commission, found in Matthew 28:19 says, “Therefore, go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.” Jesus had just finished telling his disciples that, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me.” He has the authority to send us out into the nations, for his cause, to share the gospel message of this new life in Him. My faith extends far beyond my own heart, my community of friends, or even the church I attend. It is a global faith that extends to the nations.

                I was reminded of this over the weekend while listening to the testimonies of two faithful missionaries, Jimmy Seibert and Jim Yost. Both focused on a message of obedience to the purposes of God in daily life. Both had wild, awe-inspiring experiences that came about because of this daily obedience to God. Jim Yost has worked in Indonesia for years and has started various ministries among various groups of people: youth, prison inmates, prostitutes, gang members, etc. He goes out with his church members to the places where people are and builds churches from a handful of initial disciples (sound familiar?). He doesn’t wait for people to come into his church for them to hear the gospel message. He shared from Luke 10, “After this the Lord appointed seventy-two others and sent them two by two ahead of him to every town and place where he was about to go. He told them, ‘The harvest is plentiful, but the workers are few…’” People all over our neighborhoods, cities and world are ready to hear the gospel. The Lord has supernaturally prepared their hearts to receive him, but the workers are few. Unfortunately, we aren’t going out to the places where people are to tell them about Jesus and disciple them.

                Story after story Jim shared, gave testimony to Jesus’ words. He believes that 1 in every 5 people that pass him on the street in Papua, Indonesia are ready to hear the gospel and believe. He shared of a prison ministry where they trained up leaders to disciple other inmates, which completely transformed the atmosphere of the prison. In fact, one of the inmates prayed over another inmate who had broken his leg out in the courtyard and the man’s leg was healed. Word spread of the prisoner’s healing touch and prayers and people from churches around the community, Muslims included, began bringing their sick to this prisoner to pray over. Doesn’t this sound like Jesus? He went out into the streets and met people where they were at. He used the most unlikely to carry out his purposes.

                As I read the Beatitudes this morning, I see more examples of this upside-down faith…blessed are the poor in spirit, those who mourn, the meek, the list goes on, and goes to show that the humble, broken and those seeking after the Lord will find what they are looking for. It ends with blessed are those persecuted because of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven…how am I a participant of the kingdom of heaven? Who am I talking to Jesus about? Am I obeying him daily; looking for ways to be involved in his purposes? Am I strategically, looking for ways to go out and minister to others? The Holy Spirit is definitely moving in my heart, helping me to catch a vision for the next steps of the day, week, year...it’s a pretty simple message. No need to over-think our faith. It’s about living in obedience to God and in doing so, sharing the gospel message of new life in him; discipling others into this kingdom life. Where is your mission field today?

What I made this weekend

It was another beautiful weekend here in San Diego. I broke out the barbie and made sweet potato fries both Saturday and Sunday nights! So good! I especially love the charred, crispy ones :) I also got a craving for some oatmeal cookies. Not sure if this was because I wanted to procrastinate to keep from doing homework or if I was just reminiscent of the days when my Mom packed our lunches, which typically included two homemade oatmeal chocolate chip cookies. Oatmeal also helps lower cholesterol and mine has been notoriously high in the past...most likely from familial, genetic causes. Once, I got so sick of eating oatmeal that I fasted from it for at least two years...just the thought of it would make me sick. But now that I've discovered Coaches Oats, I eat it almost every morning with a scoop of peanut butter and honey. I stumbled across the bag at Costco here in SD...never seen it in Bremerton/Seattle. Anyway, I tried the recipe on the back of the bag and the cookies turned out pretty good...a little more hearty than when you just use the old fashioned, quick cook oats by Quaker.

After an insightful church experience this weekend (more on that later), I stopped by the Point Loma library to get my first San Diego County library card! I forgot how much I love the library! I needed some resources for a lesson I'm teaching in class tomorrow night...an inductive lesson on ecosystems...fun times :) I picked up a few over-sized (and extremely heavy) coffee table like picture books of different biomes - rainforest, coral reef, deserts, Yosemite. But then, of course, I had to peruse through the science section and stumbled across, The Invisible Kingdom, a book on microbes and their amazingness :) as wells as Packing for Mars, by Mary Roach. I loved her book Stiff, so I'm hoping this one is just as entertaining. 

It's now, officially Monday morning. I definitely got side-tracked during my homework because a moth kept flying around my head while I was sitting on my bed and I decided that I have moths...clothes moths...and that I need to launder ALL of my clothes, bedding and fabric in order to rid myself of the pests. I found a couple of holes in some shirts and sweaters in the closet awhile back...GROSS! So I threw everything out and separated it into piles to wash and dry clean and then vacuumed out the closet and wiped it down. I then noticed how dirty my white curtains had become and so took those down and wiped out around the window, then vacuumed the blinds and decided that wasn't enough and so I took those down and tried to wash them in the tub...not going to happen, so they are sitting outside on the patio waiting to be hosed down in the morning! Despite the chaotic state of my room and mind, I was able to finish my lesson planning and write this blog entry...maybe I am more of a night person than I realize??? nah :) I can't wait to get up and finish cleaning in the morning so I better get some rest! 

Hiking San Diego

This past Saturday was a beautiful day, not only because it was my friend Deidra's birthday! but because we spent it hiking in God's magnificent creation. The scenery here in Southern California is quite different from the lush green forests and snow capped mountains of the Northwest. It is a different beauty that I hope you can appreciate from some of the pictures below.

Whenever I am out hiking in the mountains, I can't help but feel closer to the Lord. I'm reminded of Psalm 121, which I learned at a young age, from visits to Packwood where it was hanging in the bathroom of the butterhut :) Here is the passage; I hope the words encourage you today and whenever you find yourself in need!


God the Help of Those Who Seek Him

A Song of Ascents.

121 I will lift up my eyes to the hills—
From whence comes my help?
² My help comes from the Lord,
Who made heaven and earth.

³ He will not allow your foot to be moved;
He who keeps you will not slumber.
⁴ Behold, He who keeps Israel
Shall neither slumber nor sleep.

⁵ The Lord is your keeper;
The Lord is your shade at your right hand.
⁶ The sun shall not strike you by day,
Nor the moon by night.

⁷ The Lord shall preserve you from all evil;
He shall preserve your soul.
⁸ The Lord shall preserve your going out and your coming in
From this time forth, and even forevermore.

Sunset Cliffs - these cliffs are within running/biking distance from my house and span the west side of Point Loma

Torrey Pines - a state park/reserve that includes coastline just north of LaJolla; one of the first places my roommates took me when I moved to San Diego

Volcan Mountain - a short hike near Julian

Potato Chip Rock @ Mt. Woodson - A hike that starts at the base of Lake Poway and includes famous, potato chip rock...a sliver of a rock off a cliff, perfect photo opportunity!

Mt. Cuyamaca - the second highest peak in San Diego County; hiked twice, once with snow and the second time this past weekend with Deidra!

Wednesday highlights

Yesterday, I spent time planting lettuce, spinach and herb seeds for the start of my vegetable garden. I was able to splurge on a new pair of gloves, potting soil and planter box at Home Depot with an old gift card. 

(I must have returned something and received store credit, although now I'm thinking about how useful gift cards to Home Depot are...great gift idea!) It's amazing to me how a seed so small, yet big in the cellular world, contains all the genetic information and initial ingredients for life! I'm excited to do a little more research beyond the obvious needs for the seed to start developing...if all goes according to plan in about a week to 10 days I should have little sprouts coming up from under the surface! That is if the neighbor's cats don't disturb them :) 

The other excitement to my day yesterday was discovering that tis the season for Girl Scout cookies! I couldn't help but support my dry cleaner's granddaughter by purchasing a few of my favorites and am trying a new one...Savannah Smiles, a lemon variation. I've already broken into the Samoas! 

The real highlight from yesterday though, was spending time catching up with friends. I was able to Skype with Emily and the Drennans and catch up on the phone with Jennie. I even gave a little piano concert to Malia and Peter...such good sports for listening to me! I'm lucky we have so many different ways to keep in touch despite the long distances. It's always good to get a little piece of home. I love it here in San Diego, but I miss family and friends at times...if I only I could get them to all move down here! :)