one big stretch

this week has been one of the most emotionally and spiritually challenging weeks in my life in a long time. but as one speaker i heard recently said, when God speaks and shares a new part of Himself it might feel like a long painful stretch...it hurts and is uncomfortable, but the end result is so good, often a good we can't describe. God is stretching my perception of Him, challenging my knowledge of who He is, and reminding me that He is so much more infinitely grand than I could ever imagine. i don't want a God i can aptly describe or even begin to understand. He would no longer be God to me. i know i'm failing to let you know what exactly He is doing in my heart in these days - that's probably because i don't even know. i just know, i am so desperate to know Him and experience Him in all His glorious fullness and richness. so, God, go ahead and stretch me out...show me more of Yourself and empty me out till i overflow with Your Spirit.

this weekend john and i had the privilege of leading a seminar together at the Stepping Stone retreat. Stepping Stone meets on Hopkins campus and is the sister ministry in our network of 3 churches (the Gracelife network). it is an incredible, growing ministry of some of the sweetest people you'll ever meet. the retreat was from Friday night thru Sunday morning and John and i had the opportunity to do a seminar on dating and relationships. We only had a few days to pull it together, but had a good time doing so and were even able to dig a little deeper in our own conversation as we gained a better perspective from each other on this whole theme of Christ-centered relationships. the seminar went well and we got some good feedback from the students who attended it. great growing experience for us as a couple. the retreat itself was an incredible time of worship and fellowship and God showed up in a powerful way. 6 students committed their lives to Christ in first time professions of faith and about 13 more came forward when Pastor Roger gave an invitation for those feeling called to ministry. i'm thrilled to see what God is doing and will do in and through this ministry and the lives of these students.

the photos i posted today are from a couple different events. the bottom one is from the Progressive Dinner we hosted with the Light (taken in my apt). it was a fantastic success. even with the weather being rainy and cold we had around 30 people fill my apartment and two other apartments as we had appetizers and a main course and dessert together. those who came represented all kinds of backgrounds ranging from Peabody students to Hopkins residents, to MICA students, interns, and young working professionals. and everyone had a blast hanging out, enjoying the good food, and getting to know each other. for a church that had been running less than 30 on a regular basis for the last year, this was an incredible sight. God has been so good to grow our church and bring in the most beautiful array of unique individuals. praise the LORD for new growth.

the first few photos are all from the Stepping Stone retreat. so enjoy those. :)

please keep praying for john and i as we plan for January and the life ahead of us and more specifically as we pray about and work towards raising financial support to continue in this ministry God has given us. we are confident in His faithful provision and have no doubt He will make a way, but we also know the next year is going to be an enormous period of growth as we learn to do life as husband and wife and ultimately trust God entirely for everything we need. i'm eager and nervous and so excited all at once to know how hugely my faith will be challenged and strengthened in this new season.

lastly, 6 other girlfriends and i will be heading out tonight to see the last of John's old roomies married off to my wonderful friend Sarah. it's going to be a LONG drive down to Jekyll Island, GA, but i know its going to be a wonderful time of sweet fellowship with friends, celebration of new life adventures, and a wedding ceremony that will be beautifully dedicated to our LORD. not to mention, it'll be the last of the weddings John and i attend before our own in January! have i mentioned how tremendously, wonderfully blessed i am by that precious gift of God? he is absolutely the man of dreams and a man furiously chasing after God's heart and already has been encouraging me, leading me, and challenging me to run into a deeper relationship with our LORD. i can't express well enough how blessed i feel to be preparing to share life with him. just thought you should know. ;)









thank you for your continued prayers. if you read the last post...keep them coming for issues we're working through on MICA campus and for issues of space for our churches. again, we know God is sovereign and is already working these details out, but we are seeking His face for the wisdom to know how to move forward and surrendering each step to Him. love to you! -m

prayer needs

i can't seem to focus on getting things done today because my mind is distracted by a rather heavy prayer concern on the hearts of Light church leadership lately. it seems there have been some new students groups forming on MICA's campus under the banner of "Christianity" that are presenting a skewed message of the gospel. it has begun to create some serious confusion and frustration for some of the students that are members of our church and is creating tension and mistrust between friends whose close friends are getting swept into these groups and then challenging the faith of others. it's no surprise this is happening in the same season that our church has been gearing up to establish more of a presence on MICA's campus in hopes of building the Christian community and providing a stronger sense of fellowship there. certainly spiritual warfare will amp up as believers step up their commitment to the Great Commission.

Please please be praying for MICA's campus, for our students out of the Light church - that their faith would have a firm foundation and that the Spirit would give wisdom and real insight into what is truth and what is false. Pray also for those students becoming so committed to these other groups. Their degree of devotion and passion in regards to these groups is admirable yet to be quite frank, rather new and sudden. Something about the ministries of these churches is absolutely captivating these students, but its leaving those of us who love them feeling uncomfortable and wary of what exactly they're committing themselves to.

With that, our Gracelife network is encountering a number of battles ranging from not having enough space for an influx of new church visitors, to not having space to meet at all, and a variety of other struggles between ministry burn-out and funding issues. The glorious thing is, God is absolutely in control. This network of churches is a family committed to our Savior and surrendered to His plan and I am confident that He which began a good work will be faithful to complete it.

John and I are in the midst of writing our own support letters as our NAMB funding will end abruptly at the end of this year. It is a whole new world for both of us since we have been fully funded in our ministry roles for the last two years. For sure, our first year or so of marriage is going to be an adventure and a growing experience as we trust God to make a way and provide for us to continue giving our lives away in the very specific calling He's placed on us both.

this Sunday night is our annual Baltimore Baptist Association meeting, so please also be praying for that time with our pastors. we will be announcing some big changes for the association and recognizing the evangelistic efforts of our churches over the past year. my time with Embrace is wrapping up and with the end of the year slow-down there isn't much going on around the office, but my prayer is that our churches have learned and grown and benefited from these last two years as a strategic focus city. this city is broken and there is SO much work left to do, but our churches desperately need your prayers to continue pressing on in the ministry God has given them.

please keep praying for Baltimore. for the presence of darkness to be dispelled by the Body of Christ and for God to be glorified in every corner of this city. in that prayer, please pray for the refreshing of His servants. it truly can be a battlefield and some of our church leaders have undergone intense spiritual attack in recent months, they need to know the Body is praying. thanks all.

love - m