Everyday Life...Today

For Today, Tuesday September 22nd, 2009...
Outside my window... gloomy clouds...but a beautiful sunset fills the sky.

I am thinking... that my ways are not God's ways and His thougths are not my thoughts, though I'd like a peek at what He's thinking and planning :)

I am thankful for... my family, who is constant, loves me unconditionally, and enjoys the times we have together.

I am wearing... my pajamas which I donned when I got home from work. No soccer practice, no meetings, no dinner guests...a rare evening.

I am reading... Me, Myself and Lies-A Thought Closet Makeover (Bible Study material), Lincoln's Ladies, a biography of the life of Abraham Lincoln from the perspective of the women he encountered throughout his life...wow, what human could bear such grief?

I am hoping... for more of Him and less of me in the current difficulties.

I am creating... a plan in my head...but that may be as far as it gets...

I am praying...for my friend Mary Ellen....everyday...that her husband would return home, and that God would continue to be her Strength and Portion.

Around the house... love the new plug-in scent...dishwasher is running...school bags are packed by the front door, ready for a new day tomorrow...listening to "Biggest Loser".

From the kitchen...leftover lasgna from our time with Hayden, Heather, and Dorian this weekend...a stocked refrigerator thanks to my husband who doesn't mind grocery shopping...and a stash of chocolate :)

One of my favorite things... watching John play soccer... Lizzie 'dance to her own drum'...and Mark smile over the everyday things of life.

A few plans for the rest of the week...tomorrow's writing seminar at BCC, Children's Ministry meeting, soccer practice, staff development presentation on Friday, Saturday soccer tournament, and some needed family time.

Along the journey...

We just returned today from a much needed time away. Our time away has refocused and renewed each of us, as well as reminded us of who we are and who God is. Our vacation took us through seven states and reunited us with many friends and family members. We were able to visit Wonderworks in TN, the Creation Museum in KY, the Pratt family in P, Mark's parents in Troy, Pa (as well as the Troy Fair) and were blessed to spend special time with many treasured friends in the Corning area. We worshipped and learned together at Victory's FamJam. We spent an afternoon in the ER after Lizzie fell off a zipline at her cousins' house.

In spite of all the busyness, God met with us and showed us his faithfulness while renewing our strength. Mark and I were able to escape for a day when we kayaked down through Corning/Big Flats. It was a perfect day to share together, sunshine after rain. We rowed, we floated, we contemplated, we talked, we observed, we reflected. Mark shared how our journey this last year has been so much like our kayak trip...full of unexpected turns, rocks, wildlife, rapids, and still, quiet, moments. The river moves along whether we submit to its direction or not. The journey was so much more enjoyable as we listened, observed, and surrendered to the way of the river. How often I have 'fought' the current of the Spirit and missed the beauty along the way. I wanted to see/do what I thought I needed and often missed what beautiful things HE had planned. John Eldredge (Walking with God) tells of a hike he had planned in order to hunt elk. He was so intent on finding the elk, that he missed the other 'blessings' in his hike: the sounds of the stream, the rainbow trout, the perfect sunset, the time with his family. He was so focused on HIS goal, that he missed the miracles/blessings happening all along the way.

What am I so focused on? What am I missing? What is God trying to show me? How can I listen and observe better?

Psalm 86

"Hear, O Lord, and answer me, for I am poor and needy.
Guard my life, for I am devoted to you.
You are my God; save your servant who trusts in you.
Have mercy on me, O Lord, for I call on you all day long.
Bring joy to your servant, for to you O Lord do I lift up my soul.
You are forgiving and good, O Lord, abounding in love to all who call upon you.
Hear my prayer, O Lord;
listen to my cry for mercy.
In the day of my trouble I will call to you, for you will answer me.
Among the gods there is none like you, O Lord;
no deeds can compare with yours.
All the nations you have made will come and worship before you, O Lord;
they will bring glory to your Name.
For you are great and do marvelous deeds; your alone are God.

Teach me your way, O LORD, and I will walk in your truth;
give me an undivided heart, that I may fear your name.
I will praise you, O Lord my God, with all my heart;
I will glorify your name forever.
For great is your love toward me;
you have delivered me from the depths of the grace.

Renewal

Don't you just love time away from the routine? It's a perfect time to reflect, to renew my mind, and to focus on what is good. Last week we were able to enjoy a week at Lake Norman with the extended family. My cousin Alison got married on Saturday...a perfect day...a beautiful ceremony...lots of good memories made.

As I was reflecting on our time, I was reminded of all the amazing blessings in my life.

• My husband is such a example to me. Mark is my best friend, my stability, my hero. He spurs me on to be better, to live deeper, to be me. His life has been turned upside down through this whole journey, but he is peace-filled and optimistic about what lies ahead. I am in awe of how he lives each day...fully and completely present.

• John, my 9 year old little man, models his daddy everyday. I love watching him mature and change. He is responsible, caring, and fun; patient with his sister, meticulous with his school work, and passionate about sports, particularly football. I am proud of him and humbled to be his mother.

• Elizabeth...hmmm...love. That's what she is. Hugs, kisses, words, surprises, and smiles. She is not afraid to share her feelings or to express them to anyone. She teaches me to let go, to be carefree, and to enjoy the moment. Everyday she makes me smile. Her 7 year old perspective on life is worth considering...and living.

• Our week at Lake Norman was spent partly with my parents and my siblings and their families. I am amazed that despite how different we are, we really do enjoy spending time together: laughing, shopping, playing games, creating, being. My nieces and nephews are positive influences; they are polite and fun. We all enjoyed our week...without an ounce of tension.



• I am blessed with friends who speak truth and who do the journey with me. Though I desperately miss my girls from Bible study, I was reminded that God is doing something NEW. I continue to pray for friendships and opportunities do 'dig deep' with others.


• My greatest blessing is the grace God extends to me everyday. His mercies are new every morning. His faithfulness never ends. He never gives up on me. He wants MORE for me...more than I can even imagine for myself. He is patient. He loves me...despite all my flaws and weaknesses.
  

I have so much to be thankful for, so as I practice my "one word" WAIT, I choose to focus on the good things in my life instead of things I don't have or want to have NOW. It's a matter of perpective, isn't it? So take a few minutes, renew your mind. I'm sure you'll be reminded of all the blessings in your life too.

BREATHE!!!!

Hi Friends--

Life here at the Pratt household has moved from a pleasant, managable pace to a very busy, overflowing pace in these last few weeks. Most of you know that we've been building up to "LAUNCH SUNDAY" for Crosswinds Church. Well, launch preparation has filled our thoughts and "to-do" list.... it is at it's peek! There are just 7 days--we are filled with emotion: excitement, joy, anticipation, relief, stress, surprise, fear, peace...a menagerie of feelings!

It's really been an interesting process for me, as God has been showing me so much about who I am. Ever notice that your "real" self surfaces during the pressure-times of life? I was just sharing with a friend how much my flaws are magnified in this whole "moving-church planting-job seeking" season. It really has been humbling for me to realize, again, how little of life is in my control. Several situations have proven this to me again:

• My job for the fall probably will be eliminated due to the lack of federal funding, so I am again searching and praying for the job that will fit our family. Yes, I need to send resumes and contact people and go to job fairs, but God has again confirmed in me that HE understands it all, has a plan, knows where I'll be...and that I just need to WAIT for it all to come together. HE's not the least bit worried that I'll have a job...hmmm...so why do I?
• Children's Ministry has been a fun journey as I've researched, read, dreamed, brainstormed, organized, and planned details. I love creating the plan and executing the details! On the other hand, children are the focus of children's ministry (hmmm...I knew this too :), no surprise here, just a reality check)....children are unpredictable, independent, messy, carefree,and interactive. They really don't care about the details :) So at times, I have found that the ideas/plans in my head have come to be affectionately termed "organized chaos". God is teaching me to let go of perfection. He is encouraging me to plan, but to enjoy the moment. He is showing me that organized chaos is okay. For this detail oriented, every-thing-in-its-place, plan ahead, kind of girl, well, it's been a struggle :)
• I am, daily, praying for friends whose lives are not what they had planned. I want to fix and make everything better. I want to rescue my friends from the hurt and disappointment. I want them to have better...NOW! I want to be back in New York where, at the very least, I can cry and pray with them. But again, God is showing me that HE knows, HE doesn't 'need' me, that deep faith is forged through pain and that this is a season of amazing growth in my friends' personal faith. The lessons He is teaching could not be taught in a different way. I continue to be encouraged by their amazing perserverance, reliance on God, and the way the body of Christ steps in at just the right moment. I am seeing "beauty from ashes" as only God can do.
• Our house search is on hold. Several factors have required this, but I am quickly realizing that it is best. What a blessing that we did not get the house we bid on back in November! Our new rental is such a answer to prayer...a great fit for us and still is able to give us freedom and flexibility. My "control" would have had us in our own home by now, but again I am learning to WAIT on him and the timing He has for us.

I could go on, but I think you get the idea. I could very easily get overwhelmed (and do at times) with the lack of control in my life right now. I am certain that God is teaching me these lessons now because our future will require it. I am so glad that God does not leave me where I am comfortable, but takes my hand and leads me into new territory where I am able to better hear, see, and know HIM! So for now, I am breathing. Consciously breathing. Deep breaths. Cleansing breaths. Peaceful breaths. I am breathing praise to my "Breath-Giver" for HIS control in my life. So....take a deep breath. Now, doesn't that feel good?

February Update

Yep...we've been deliquent in keeping our blog up to date. A lot has happened in that last few weeks, thought I'd take a few moments to update you:

• We are officially residents of Leland, NC as we moved on January 24th and are mostly settled...at least all of our boxes are in one place, many still unpacked in our garage. We are loving our new home. It is more than we need or deserve.
• School is going well for everyone. We are praying about our options for the fall, asking God to open and close doors for us. We are confident that HE will put each of us where HE wants us to be. Right now, we are exploring options and praying for direction.
• Mark started another set of classes...philosophy and intro to counseling. Though the journey may feel long, he's making progress day by day. He is also working at the machine parts shop part time, enjoying the "hands on" nature of that job. He is doing an amazing job of balancing everything.
• Elizabeth and I returned to NY on the weekend of Feb 6th to participate in a Creative Memories crop (aka Girl's Weekend Away). Lizzie scrapbooked with the "big girls" for the first time...and flew in an airplane for the first time. It was part of her birthday celebration, as she turned 7 on February 1st. We had a wonderful time with my CM friends, most of whom I had not seen since July. I came away feeling more blessed than ever of God's amazing plan and the way HE weaves our lives together with others (to accomplish His purposes). I do miss my CM business and friends, but was thankful for the opportunity to reconnect with so many.
• John is growing into a young man. He is enjoying sports more and more, following football and baseball stats religiously. He has been very patient and understanding with all the changes, and is doing an especially good job of "taking care" of his sister. He is a caring and responsible older brother....most of the time :) We are so proud of him.
• Lizzie hit another milestone last week...she is now riding a bike, independently. Since we can get out and enjoy the milder temps here, in the evening we often go out for walks and the kids take their scooters. Mark and Lizzie have been working hard at the bike riding. Last Thursday, she took off on her own. This was a big one for her. Her "oneword" for the year is "independence".
• Crosswinds Church is taking off. We began meeting in a temporary space last weekand started with 41 in attendance. The space is a former dance studio with 2 areas...one for the adult worship time and the other for the kids. We are encouraged by new families that are coming and continue to pray for influence and relationships in our new area. We hope to be in our permanent space on March 29th, when Crosswinds Church will officially "launch". It's just a few short weeks away...

We are constantly surrending our own expectations: for school, work, church, and future. In many ways this journey is much more difficult than we ever anticipated, but we also know that God called us for a purpose, part of which is stretching and changing us as individuals. We are still humbled, grateful, and expectant at what God is doing. Thank you for your continued prayers on our behalf.

Grateful

So here's our new home as of next week: 1135 Lillibridge Dr. Leland, NC 28451. We are excited about the opportunities we'll have to meet new people and to connect with families in Leland. I am so grateful that God again has provided...more than we need, just in time. He is forever, completely, and undeniably faithful. For that alone, we can' t help but be grateful.

Moving forward...

We are back from the holidays in NY where we spend time with friends and family. We are so blessed by the deep friendships we enjoy...despite the miles that separate. Since being back we have accepted that Wilmington is indeed HOME, and that we are more excited than ever about what God will do through Crosswinds Church.

We were challenged last week at Port City Community Church to pick ONE WORD for the new year (check out http://www.myoneword.org/) . One word on which we will focus our thoughts and efforts, ALL YEAR. It's been an interesting process for all of us to reflect and examine. As a family we've shared together what words we've thought about. The confession of weakness, in itself, has been valuable...and overwhelming. I'm praying that God will impress the word He wants for me....I think MY list is up to about 20 or so.

We'd appreciate your prayers as we try to sort out our housing options. We hope to lease a new place, a townhouse closer to where the church will be, but we're waiting to hear back from the owner. We think that two contracts came in on the same day. The plan was to be out of this apartment by Jan 24th, but we'll have to see how it all works out. Again, we trust that the Lord will work out the details if he wants us in that neighborhood. And if not...He knows best, and he'll provide as He always has.

Crosswinds Church has secured commerical space in Leland and will be "moving in" at the beginning of February. We are excited about the coming months; Mark will be busy as he works to prepare the building AND juggle schoolwork, family, and work. We are most excited about the people who will become part of what is happening at CW. Would you pray with us that "CROSS-eyed" people would join the CW team? That our impact would be multiplied? That our focus would be a God inspired vision?

We are humbled again...and greatly inadequate for the task ahead. Thank you for holding us in prayer and for your continued encouragement. You are precious to us!

1/9 P.S. We did get the townhouse!!!! Thanks for your prayers!