As of right now, I am a little bit less in picture taking mode,
and a little bit more just pursuing the Lord’s heart. Intimacy with Him is the
most important thing ever.
He loves to surprise! Yesterday (Sunday March 4th)
Tati and I were asked to come and share/invite aka “do our schpiel” at a
Methodist Church, and so once we got there Tati was told to come up on stage,
and was expected to give the sermon! Hahahaha she was in a state of terror.
Anyway something crazy is that a few nights ago I woke up in the middle of the
night, and I could NOT fall asleep . . . words and thoughts, verses, observations,
and just different revelations of mine and Tati’s throughout our trip started
coming together like crazy and I felt like I was supposed to write it out. I
wrote it all out, and I had crazy energy, you know, the kind when you just
randomly have inspiration or I guess the opposite of writer’s block (I don’t
know what that is called) – anyway I had this crazy mental energy and so I
typed it all out. Later on I had Tati read it, and she thought maybe it would
be good to email it to the people coming down and speaking at the conference.
Regardless – it was hilarious that all of a sudden at this church we/Tati were
being looked at to give a sermon, and I had, days prior, been given a literal
speech and the Lord’s heart for the church in Belize!!! So, I shared it with
everyone, and it was awesome!! It was really sweet of the Lord to give me a
little opportunity to speak, and practice speaking, since that is one of my
insecurities; but something I very badly want to overcome. That and heights are
the two big things I want to overcome – so it is neat to have opportunities to
practice in non-life-threatening ways. And in regard to heights, we found/were
told about a little river called Roaring Creek, where people go swim, and there
is a huge rock to jump off of into the water . . . I will be working on doing
that STAT!!! Tati just needs to be a trooper and do it with me. (she wouldn’t
the first time) . . .
While we are getting details together about this conference
and trip with different friends from the US who are coming to visit and
minister at the conference as well – I am just trying to continually focus on
exasperating the enemy through humility, prayer and self control (the three
main things I have been focusing on this trip) – and recently studying the
topics of idols and authority. AND loving it.
It is really amazing just living with Tati; just one other
person, in comparison to the 5-6 roommates I had right before I left Athens (2
of them were taking mine and Tati’s spots) – and we REALLY FEEL MARRIED in so
many ways. It is so crazy how we have to communicate constantly to stay in tune
with each other and bear with one another. It is crazy how with just one other
person in close proximity, we are seeing so much fruit in our relationship
faster, because we only have each other to work through and process things
with, to go to for help and advice and companionship, as well as our daily
opportunities to intercede for one another as she has a convo with someone, or
I have an interaction with someone else – it’s amazing, and I can’t explain in
words how much WORK the Lord has done.
I’m sure everyone who pursues the Lord and wisdom and growth
looks back on the year(s) before and says to themselves, “Man I was so immature
back then; I knew NOTHING!” – well, in a lot of ways that is how I feel. I feel
like a completely different person. It will be hard to come back to Georgia
without Tati!
The quick update of truly what is going on "As Of Now" - is Tati and I are back in Belize City, sitting in the living room of Pastor Lloyd Standford (head of the Baptist Convention in the whole country) and he just made a stew, with chicken feet. He is going to see if I can handle the chicken foot. . . .mind over matter, mind over matter!!! We shall see! More to come!
Well I didn't realize we'd be in his living room all these hours chillin with him and his wife, so here is what happened. . . I took it in my mouth, but I couldn't swallow it. I mean look at it! It is all cartilage, bone, fat and skin. (GAG) . . . . He literally asked me: What gives you excitement? I listed some things like cliff jumping, different thrills and rushes, and he was like, "yes, eating chicken feet gives me the same feeling" . . . ah WHAAT !
-We are staying at Pastor Lloyd's tonight, and leaving the car overnight with Bobby, our mechanic. We say his name in a British accent ONLY. (Bow-bay). He is going to continue to try and fix our AC. . . we bought a new condenser, which fixed a big leak, but now he is going to put some sort of dye in the system to find the other leak, which has to be done at night he says . . . tomorrow we are meeting with maria and Pastor Crawford to look at the kitchen and the church.
So guess whaat? We have basically no money for the conference! Tati's parents sponsored some pastors we found out yesterday which is such a blessing, but we still need like thousands of dollars. We are actually thrilled, that we continually get to see in our own lives how incapable we are to make anything happen. The conference. A revival in Belize. . . etc - these are big things that will crush us if we attempt to control and force it to happen - we simply can't. Which is great! I don't want that kind of pressure! I want to admit how small I am, and let the Lord be the one to "do work". As I share on my blog facts like this, the fact that we have hardly any money and we are days a way from the conference - it is a continual testimony to show how predictably unpredictable He is, and how He will provide and come through, either at the last minute, or in a way we never would have thought of! He is an honoring God, and He will bless us in all that we are doing, I believe, to the point where this venture in Belize will be a big reference point for the rest of my life. To Him be the glory!!
Tati just told me that we have a total of $210 for the conference :)
If you at all feel it on your heart to donate any money, here is the link!
https://interns.sagefundraisingonline.com/tatib
Also, please be praying for my Uncle Bob. He has had 2 brain aneurysms and is in the ICU in Ft Lauderdale, FL. He is having a craniotomy either today or tomorrow, which, if it doesn't go perfectly, could easily paralyze him or him have a stroke. . . at best he will be in the hospital a few weeks, so please pray for my family and for his health and life. Thanks guys! I love you all and appreciate your love and support!!!
a mouthful of . . . . things that should never go in your mouth!
I spit it into the trash.
Well I didn't realize we'd be in his living room all these hours chillin with him and his wife, so here is what happened. . . I took it in my mouth, but I couldn't swallow it. I mean look at it! It is all cartilage, bone, fat and skin. (GAG) . . . . He literally asked me: What gives you excitement? I listed some things like cliff jumping, different thrills and rushes, and he was like, "yes, eating chicken feet gives me the same feeling" . . . ah WHAAT !
Pastor Lloyd
He was just a jolly little camper watching me try to eat a chicken foot
by the end he called me BRAVE. I'm content with that :)
-We are staying at Pastor Lloyd's tonight, and leaving the car overnight with Bobby, our mechanic. We say his name in a British accent ONLY. (Bow-bay). He is going to continue to try and fix our AC. . . we bought a new condenser, which fixed a big leak, but now he is going to put some sort of dye in the system to find the other leak, which has to be done at night he says . . . tomorrow we are meeting with maria and Pastor Crawford to look at the kitchen and the church.
So guess whaat? We have basically no money for the conference! Tati's parents sponsored some pastors we found out yesterday which is such a blessing, but we still need like thousands of dollars. We are actually thrilled, that we continually get to see in our own lives how incapable we are to make anything happen. The conference. A revival in Belize. . . etc - these are big things that will crush us if we attempt to control and force it to happen - we simply can't. Which is great! I don't want that kind of pressure! I want to admit how small I am, and let the Lord be the one to "do work". As I share on my blog facts like this, the fact that we have hardly any money and we are days a way from the conference - it is a continual testimony to show how predictably unpredictable He is, and how He will provide and come through, either at the last minute, or in a way we never would have thought of! He is an honoring God, and He will bless us in all that we are doing, I believe, to the point where this venture in Belize will be a big reference point for the rest of my life. To Him be the glory!!
Tati just told me that we have a total of $210 for the conference :)
If you at all feel it on your heart to donate any money, here is the link!
https://interns.sagefundraisingonline.com/tatib
Also, please be praying for my Uncle Bob. He has had 2 brain aneurysms and is in the ICU in Ft Lauderdale, FL. He is having a craniotomy either today or tomorrow, which, if it doesn't go perfectly, could easily paralyze him or him have a stroke. . . at best he will be in the hospital a few weeks, so please pray for my family and for his health and life. Thanks guys! I love you all and appreciate your love and support!!!
