“Simon says, ‘pat your head.’

We pat our heads.

Jesus says, ‘go therefore and make disciples.’

We memorize that verse”

Francis Chan

Can I get an #amen and a #holyconviction to that one?

Man this is such a sweet, sweet time of finally getting to learn again and fall in love with Jesus again…a season of life I am no longer insanely busy and inwardly focused.  A time when we can take a trip on a whim to Costa Rica with our oldest son and learn the needs and love of the country.  A time when I can now ask someone every day, at least one person, “how can I help you today.”

No…I AM NOT tooting my own horn…I merely speak to this to maybe encourage at least one of you.  To be used as a vessel to your heart.

This past weekend Joe and I took a trip.  One that had been laid on my heart almost a year ago…one that you can read a little more about here.

Joe has been blessed to get to take trips in the midst of all our kids with his FCA group and others.  My ministry the past 5 or so years has been at home with my boys.  I have been itching to get back out and serve again with my family…anywhere I can.  It just so happens that Costa Rica had been laid on my heart about a year ago and I have been pushing the “uphill” thought of it away for some time.

For the past year I had been in the mode of “memorizing the verse” and not actually “going and doing”.  I had been stuck in “stop…no need…it’s not something you need to be doing right now…other people are doing it”.  All devil thoughts in my head.

So finally, with Joe’s love and support, we bit the bullet and bought our tickets.  In the time of the calling I also felt God tell me to bring Jake along too…so, again…we did it and Joe, Jake and I all traveled to Costa Rica this past weekend to learn more about Casa Viva, a ministry Joe has worked with in the past with service projects and evangelical projects.

And that’s not all.

Us three had the AMAZING blessing of bringing along two more brave souls.  Two women who I am so thankful took up their cross and decided to answer their calling…

Paige and Susan.

How the heck did this happen?  Well I put out the call.  And they answered.

Susan is the mom of one of my past brides, Callie, and an INCREDIBLE woman of God.  She was so perfectly placed in our group as an amazing encourager, vision seeker, and lover of the families we met at the same places in life that her sweet family is.  It was incredible to see the AWESOME timing of how her story lined up with and was encouraged by those hundreds and hundreds of miles away. I was soooo thankful to have her on our trip to get to meet our host family and learn more about the great work of Casa Viva.  I cannot wait to have her come back with us!!

Paige…well I got to meet Paige as a higschool student coming to biblestudy, up when we lived in Spring, with a thirst that she probably didn’t even know she had at the time.  To have been blessed so much in watching Paige grow up over the past 4-5 years and become the INCREDIBLE woman she now is has been an honor.  Paige loves the Lord.  Paige wants to now serve the Lord even in vocation and is AMAZING with anyone she gets to be put around.  She can play soccer with a bunch of 11 year olds in the street, she can talk with adults about how to help change the world, she can even have amazing patience with middle school-ers who she wants to know Jesus.  She too was PERFECTLY placed and morphed amazingly into this trip with this random crew.

Random crew.  That is all I can really say to explain it.  It really does not get more random than us.  But there is no way I could have pictured the trip being any more perfect.  (except, of course if you all came too)

There were so many others who wanted to answer and the timing did not work out.  So for those of you…the call WILL be made again soon…and I so hope you answer it.

More to come in pictures on this incredible two days.  But for now…chew on this…and GET VERY excited about the upcoming trips we will be making.

This is what I have been told.  I get to know some of THE COOLEST, most awesome, funnest (yes it’s a word) and BEST people EVER with the work that I do.  People who do not all know eachother, but people I wish could…because if all of you knew eachother, boy this world with be…well…perfect actually.

So why not…why not bring all the people from my crazy random life together and serve?  Why not?  My brides, my grooms, my hairstylists, my planners, my mom’s and dad’s, brother’s and sister’s, photographers, you name it…

All people I now know and love…all people who love the Lord…all people who can come and serve, side by side, with us…and change the world!