Build Your Porch

A couple of weekends ago I had the privilege of attending Women of Faith, a conference for women with the goal of encouraging ladies and lifting up the name of Jesus. It was the last WOF tour, and I'm grateful to have gotten in on the last one!

As a newbie, I didn't really know what to expect. I only knew a couple of the speakers even though some of them have been teaching the Bible and speaking to women for over 30 years. I expected to have a good time with my mom and my aunt Kathy and to learn about God's love for me (This year's theme is LOVED), but what I didn't expect was to be blown completely away by the beauty of God's family and His work in our hearts.

I didn't expect to cry and to laugh simultaneously. Tears of beauty at the redemptive work of God, tears of laughter as we completely cracked up, tears of solidarity as the speakers shared their stories. Tears of overwhelming amazement at the intense and tender love of Christ, who went to the cross to show us the width and the depth and strength of His love.


I didn't expect to be enamored with the team of speakers. So much so that I kept stealing glances at the side of the stage where they were all seated together and just watching them. I have never seen such beautiful, radiant women in my life.

These women of faith ranged from ages 40-84. Not one had a supermodel figure or perfectly symmetrical faces or airbrushed makeup. But I am telling you, they were stunningly beautiful. They laughed and danced with complete abandon, they embraced the hard parts of their stories and shared them with such grace and courage. Each one of these women spoke to the crowd and you saw them--  completely themselves, each her own, not one like the other, secure in who God made her to be and owning it. Loving it. Lit up from the inside out, enjoying all of the ups and downs of life, together. It was obvious that these women were the deepest kind of friends. Not competing or condemning or subtly envious of the others accomplishments or gifts -- but true FRIENDS.

 These women are just like you and me. Ordinary women in love with an extraordinary God. What was special about them was HOW MUCH Jesus shined in their lives.

His Love,
His Grace,
His Redemption,
His Righteousness,
His Compassion,
His Joy ...

all spilling out everywhere.

The speakers sat together on a part of the stage where a make-shift porch was constructed. Part of the conference involved "Stories from the Porch" where the ladies shared funny, heart-warming stories from their everyday trials and triumphs. I laughed until my sides split, and rejoiced and grieved their ups and downs with them. I just watched these ladies in amazement because "This is clearly family." 

I left the conference with a fire in my heart for the family of God. A desire to let loose and be real and allow God to use who I really am in the messiness of life. I left with a desire to build my porch... 
A place where I can sprawl out with a cup of coffee on some pillows and just be Rachel and allow my friends to just be who they are. A place to invite weary women to come as they are and be real. A place for those who love Jesus to encourage each other in the mundane and lovely and hard of life.

The messy of life is not nearly so overwhelming with a shoulder to cry on, a hand to hold in prayer, a little belly laughter over the irony in life.

 Life is too hard to go it alone and too beautiful to experience in isolation.

Invite someone onto your porch this week.  We need each other. More than we know, I think.

May God bring us each porches right where we are, full of His beautiful people to help us stay faithful to Him and who can make this journey home more full of kingdom life than we could ever dream.

Kip's Birthday Celebration

We spent much of May and June on the road, visiting friends and family. We had a picture perfect beach vacation with the Wright side of our family, which still makes me smile to think about. Michael celebrated a milestone in his PT program at North GA, and we were able to celebrate him receiving his white coat and starting his clinical training. I will plan to share a few pictures of all of these occasions for our families over the next couple of weeks. But first, I wanted to share some photos from Kip's 28th birthday. We had a wonderful day together celebrating him!

Breakfast of homemade carmel rolls and opening cards 

Walking the Big Four Bridge 

Picnic Lunch at the waterfront  

 


 

 

Checking out the Louisville Slugger Museum. Always the athlete, Kip loved the batting cages. I just held the mini bats for show and ducked for cover at the simulated pitches. 

My love! Kip is steady, kind, full of love, always seeing the good, always keeping me laughing. I could go on and on, but I'll spare you all. If you know him, then you know... He's the real deal. 

Here's to year 28! 

Happenings

We blinked after coming home from our New Year's Vacation and find ourselves halfway through the Spring Semester:

Kip is taking two classes and working about two shifts per week at the hospital. He is loving all he is learning, and frequently comes home spilling over with questions, topics, Scriptures which we discuss over dinner.

I am working full time but have also started taking classes offered as a part of the Seminary Wives Institute on campus.  I have always loved learning, but this is really a special opportunity to learn from wise professors and their wives on campus. This season has really fanned the flame of passion for His Word to get deep in my heart. I want to live, breathe, think, speak this Word, and to constantly obey it. What a gift it is to us!

We both keep pretty busy between work and school, but try to make time for the occasional dinner or brunch date. Here is a photo of us on a recent outing to the Anchorage Cafe for breakfast.

I have been slowly reading through the Old Testament and it has been blowing my mind to see how God reveals Himself!  I recently finished Genesis and have been reading and re-reading the chapter where Joseph reveals his identity to his brothers. The same brothers who sold him into slavery 22 years prior, and considered him dead. I imagine all of the emotion in not only learning their brother is alive, but in recognizing all the Lord has done. Joseph tells them in 45:5 "Do not therefore be grieved or angry with yourselves because you sold me here; for God sent me before you to preserve life". And in verse 8, "It was not you who sent me here, but God; and He has made me a father to Pharaoh, and lord of all his house, and a ruler throughout all the land of Egypt".

How amazing is the Sovereignty of God! There are no gradients of it, no degrees of His control. He is fully, completely control of all things in all power. Every single thing that has happened and will happened is in His capable hands, exactly as He intends it to be. What a powerful, life-giving thing to really believe!

In regards to the life of Joseph, he was hated by his brothers, plotted to be killed by them, and sold to Egypt as a slave. However, the Lord's plans for him to rule and prosper were not only accomplished, but every attempt at thwarting this was actually all a part of His purposes!  Not only did Joseph rule as he'd dreamed when he was a young man, but think about some other things we see accomplished, as a result of the brothers' jealous actions:

• Full reconciliation and love between Joseph and his brothers
• Maturity of faith in Joseph and his brothers, the development of tender hearts toward God
• Many people in Egypt saved from the famine
• Favorable position for Joseph in Pharaoh's home
• God greatly glorified in the eyes of Pharaoh and the Egyptian people
• Joseph's brothers and fathers blessed and given new territory surrounding Egypt

We see the all-encompassing grace of God to His people everywhere in His Word. We can trust that this is who He is, all the time. The things that feel good and the things that feel bad, are all purposeful in the Sovereign hands of God. Even our sin and mistakes are redeemed by Him and used for His purposes! And the best news is : He is only working GOOD for us. He wants to thank Him for what we cannot yet see. Thank him for everything, in faith. He is the perfect Creator and He is creating a bigger, better, more beautiful plan than we can know.

"And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose."

In all of our happenings, let us recognize the Lord is Almighty God, Sovereign over all things. There is not one thing that is out of His hands. He shows us in His Word that : 1) He is always in control and 2) He is always good and merciful to His children. May these promises greatly comfort us and be the pillars of our life and faith always.

New Year's Vacation

We celebrated a late Christmas with our families in GA the first week or so of January, and now are back in KY settling into what feels like a brand new season. How is this month already halfway over??

Lots of "Nertz" playing... took us back to our college days! 

The Card Sharks 

Manicures (the cheaper way) 

Excited to get some good GA BBQ at Cliff's restaurant! 

More cards with this beautiful couple!

Teaching Kip's parents how to play Nertz 

I didn't take near enough pictures but I wanted to post a few of our time spent with our families. While it was wonderful to spend good, quality time in familiar surroundings, when pulling back into Louisville we both looked at each other and said "It's good to be home". It's funny how that happens-- After a certain amount of time, things stop feeling strange and start feeling like comfortable again.
School starts up again next week and I am going to be taking a class as well.
We are back and ready for a new semester, refreshed and excited about all that the Lord is doing.

Many Blessings to you in 2015!

Love, 
Rach