9.) Winter in Northern Ireland
There are few people in my life that I feel comprehend who I am. Only a handful of people have walked with me in life and not just watched me walk. There is a vast difference in a track runner’s fans and their teammates. Paul and Val Bowman have been not only a teammate running alongside me for the sake of the Gospel, but cheering me on while they run with me. Many things have changed for me this year; many constants in my life are no longer constants. My brother and best friend both moved this year. A treasured friend was called to a different mission field in Germany. My life is a massive transformation. Paul’s words were like a shield to my feeble heart. “Becca, we will always be a constant in your life; no matter where we live or what we are doing, we are here for you.” Their mere presence alone filled me up the two brief weeks I visited over the winter. Seeing all my friends in Ireland was like a cool drink of water for my soul. Petra, Rach J., Michael, Mark, Vicky, Abbi, Jenna, Rach D., Rose, even the little angels Erin and Talitha, and many more were a comfort to my unstable soul.
8.) High View Church
I will keep this section as brief as humanly possible. The church today is a dense topic to discuss. This year my heart delved into the thoughts of, “Is this church was Jesus had in mind? What does it mean to be a member of a Church, and what does that look like?” The Holy Spirit united the questions of my heart to the same ones of my dear friend Stephanie. We commenced our journey and the Lord had us dock our exploring ship at High View Church. It has been a wild ride as we pushed back out to sea to bring our fellow brothers and sisters to High View with us. We are still exploring and asking the Lord to continue to be our holy Captain. There are many aspects that we adore and others we are still probing, however, God is there. I am growing. I am seeking understanding. Brad and Hayley Hovis get the Gospel. The sermons and worship through the Lord have pushed my soul into a profound place. Profound (adj.) - “originating in or penetrating to the depths of one's being.” Jesus encourages profound places; for now, High View is right, and I am blessed.
7.) Serenity’s Wedding
If anyone has known me for a day, they will hear something about My Best Friend Serenity (Yes that is her official title). Serenity is so many things to me. She is a best friend, ally, sister, protector, confidant, understanding, a woman of the Lord, intimate, supporter, accomplice, a late night call of tears, a captivating smile, and a harbor of safety. She is so many more things to me, but the English language has not yet invented such words. We met when I was 15, she was 16, and the connection was instant. My life has never been the same. We frequently dreamed of the day our husbands would surface from the sea of sleaze that seemed to encircle us. Seth was the unexpected, yet welcomed man Serenity had awaited. I received the privilege of standing with Serenity on her wedding day. It is an odd feeling to dream of a day to come, and then arriving there. I stood in my mermaid, blue dress, staring at my treasure draped in white. I felt full in that moment. “What therefore God has joined together, let not man separate." –Mark 10:9
6.) College
I was never a fan of school. Learning was not a priority of mine. When the Lord began to shift my heart this year and sift through my sin, I realized that my overall apathy was a huge sin in my life. Laziness and I were good friends; not good. God ultimately revealed to me that my slothful nature towards school and learning was offensive to Him. He is the author of knowledge and understanding. Caring little for learning more about the world around me, which He created, was therefore, a suppression of passion to know Him. I still do not like math. I still do not like chemistry. I still do not like biology. I can see God in math, chemistry, and biology now and better appreciate those subjects. I begged God. I needed Him to change my heart towards learning; He is faithful. College helps me know Him better. I see him in the papers I write, the people I sit next to, the pages I must read, the labs, presentations, the art work I study, the notes I take. He is there. College is not just school; it is a crown He has given to me to know Him better. Pursuing my studies leads to pursuit of Him; for this, I am thankful.
5.) Starting Wyldlife/ Younglife
When God created me, He wove a desire for youth into my core. He breathed life into my lungs and a longing or ache to see young people intimately know Jesus. Teenage years are awkward, fun, adventurous, trying, and distressing, especially today. Teenagers are pivotal to the church. Teenager and zeal are like a spider and its web. It just works. You don’t fully know how it all works, and honestly who cares? It works, it’s beautiful, and it’s needed. Arachnophobia (the fear of spiders) and Ephebiphobia (fear of teenagers) plague many today. Some of the most important people of the Bible were teenagers, including the obviously significant Mary, mother of Jesus. Therefore, young people are desperately needed, yet are lacking, in the church today.
I met a seemingly average guy in one of my classes. Little did I know the vital task the Lord would ask him to play in my life? Chris Murphy is hilarious. Chris Murphy and I get along. Chris began to invite me to join the ministry front called Younglife and I quickly rejected his invitation. American youth ministry, to put it lightly, irritates me. I was not going to get involved with some flashy program filled with young people who have been coming to for years, yet are still drinking, having sex, are depressed, and still feel completely hopeless. Jesus is a person, not a program. To make a novel into a paragraph, Younglife is about youth and where they are at, not a program to pretend they are all fine. I am now a leader for wyldlife (middle school) and love it. There is no feeling like walking the path the Your Creator has destined for you.
4.) Music
“If music be the food of love, play on.” –William Shakespeare
Music has always pricked my soul. I feel like music is as close to Heaven as we can get here on Earth. There are so many amazing musicians, that my feelings were apprehensive towards pursuing music in any way. This year of my life has been musically fruitful by the grace and enticing of the Father. I have always felt insufficient in my musical knowledge and talent. That is the beauty of this faith, this belief, this Gospel.
“But God chose what is foolish in the world to shame the wise; God chose what is weak in the world to shame the strong; God chose what is low and despised in the world, even things that are not, to bring to nothing things that are, so that no human being might boast in the presence of God.”
- 1Cor. 1:26-29
So I stepped into music. I took voice lessons and am currently taking piano lessons. Not because I am good, but because He is worthy of my praise in any and every area of my life. I will obey the command in 1 Chron. 16:9; I will sing praise to Him. If I can bless or inspire one person through music, than all glory and praise be to His name.
3.) Summer
I could write a novel about my summer. I suppose a short blog paragraph must suffice. Summers in my life are my favorite time of the year. I have the honor of being an intern in Northern Ireland and traveling to the Czech Republic every summer. I am humbled that God has chosen me to speak His name to other nations. This summer was incredible. Filled with amazing interns, (Petra, Addison, Josh, and Lauren), the most inspiring way I have ever heard the Gospel (the story of God in Czech), practicing my Czech (Thanks Petra!), tickling Erin and Talitha, letting the warm Czech, summer air lace through my hair on a train, get completely coated with muck on Messy Fun IV, deep conversations, wiping of tears, holding of hands, and the breathe being stripped from my lungs at my Creator’s design. The friendships and memories evoke worship in me. I have nothing to do but praise Him for allowing me this opportunity each summer. I love you all my European brothers and sisters!
2.) David and Meredith’s Wedding
There are moments in time where everything seems right in this horrible, twisted world. For a split second, Heaven comes to Earth. The wedding ceremony of my brother, David to his wife, Meredith was one of those moments. If you haven’t read my blog entry about their wedding, you should and you will. That is the closest I have ever felt to God. It felt like what the world is supposed to feel like, what God wants me to feel like all the time. It was surreal. I longed for Heaven and my Jesus like I never had before. Meredith has been such an immense addition to our family; she is not even an addition. Meredith belongs in our family, because God intended her to be in our family; we just didn’t know it yet. I loved that day. I love David. I love Meredith. I deeply, intimately, and passionately fell deeper in love with Jesus that day.
1.) New Friendships
2009 has been a friendship year. When I say friendship I don’t mean flippant and fickle friendships. I have rarely had intimate, caring friendships before this year; God abiding relationships; God centered association. I love God; so therefore, I can love you in amazingly different way connections. You are my brother bonds. I adore you, my sister, unions. I have craved and yearned for such kindred, wondering if it could even exist. If you know me, I like to talk about meeting people with your same heart beat. If you have a friend like this you know exactly what I mean by this. God has given your soul a rhythm and theirs is the same as yours. Your hearts make a harmony. Your minds are in tune. There is something weighty about spiritual cadence with people. My cup has overflowed with new, deep friendships this year. I have an amazing group of people (you know who you are) I hang out with who passionately seek the Lord. I am thankful for each one of you!
Some of the big ones for the year: Petra, Taylor, Tarah MacAlmon, Esther Bentz, Jeremy and Anne, Josh McKinley, Amanda Heath, Reid, Chris, Meredith, and countless others have graced my life with their presence and friendship this year.
I look forward to 2010 with expectancy. I will see lives changed and people healed, I will see young people know Christ and old find Him again, I will deepen relationships and begin new ones, I will labor and harvest, I will see new hope in Europe and in my city, I will serve and be served, I will laugh hard and dry tears, I will praise Him in joy and sorrow, I will be His and He will be mine.
