A Little Over Half Way Done

Yes, URBN Experience is more than half way done. I figured now would be a good time to reflect on all that has happened in the past six months.

EXPECTATIONS

1. To see the community of Shelby Park be impacted by the Gospel.
* I feel like I get to see this everyday. Since having moved here I have been able to see and meet people from Shelby Park who have been impacted by the Gospel.

2. To grow in my faith in Christ
* God is so good! This six months has not been easy and I don't expect that it could get easier, but with that being said I have found myself relying on God more for the things I need rather than myself.

3. To walk away with a larger community of Christian friends and family
* The Christian community that I know here is slowly growing.

4. To be tested in multiple areas of my faith
* Maybe this is one of those where you tell people, "Be careful what you wish for." This goes along with #2. Being here hasn't been easy but it has stretched me and forced me to turn to God more than ever before.

5. To have fun with my neighbors and get to know them personally
* Since it has been so cold this winter most people just stay inside. However, our house and a few others on our street have been taking turns shoveling each other's snow/ice. It's really quite cool how it's happened. No one determined that it should be that way or asked for help, we all just did it.

GOALS

1. Be active in the community at least 3 days a week (i.e. getting out in the park, volunteering, walking around)
* This was easy when I first got here, and now that it's cold no one really wants to be outside. We have been having the biweekly potlucks in the Community Center though, which has helped in getting to be around our neighbors.

2. Do something to serve my direct neighbors at least once a month
* We have been able to have one of our neighbors over for dinner multiple times. This has been such a blessing. The more we get to know her the deeper the conversations become.

3. Read through the Bible in a year
* Still trucking through!

4. Learn to show love to those that are hard to love in practical ways
* Love is literally one of the hardest things to show to people we don't know or don't like. However, when I have put myself last and put others first even when I didn't want to, it has been so rewarding!

5. Get to know at least two of my neighbors (Who are not Sojourn members) on a personal level
* We are slowly but surely getting to know at least 1 household of neighbors...We'll see where this goes. Hopefully down the block!

Snow, Snow, and More Snow.

Well, as it is no surprise to most people in the southern states and this confused state of Kentucky that this winter has been quite cold. Not only has it been cold but it's been filled with snow. Here in Louisville, every time the snow and ice melt away the sidewalks are covered again within 48 hours with a nice mixture of snow and ice. All of this snow and ice has allowed for me to 1. Think I'm really awesome at driving in terrible conditions and 2. Spend more time with the children that I nanny, Kate(4) and Robert(7). We have spent several days this winter sledding, having snowball fights, and of course drinking hot chocolate like it's on tap. Here is a peek at all the fun we've been having!

A Wise Man Once Said...

Throughout this week and the next few to come the Bible in a Year plan has me reading through Proverbs. Proverbs 9, boldly marked and titled "The Way of Wisdom", has caught my attention and I haven't been able to really move on. I mean, who doesn't want to be thought of and considered a "wise" person. Now, I'm talking knowledge here not how much of a smart ass they can be. What comes to mind when you think of the word "wise"? I immediately go to synonyms like smart, intelligent, clever, enlightened, and the list could go on and on. Now, here I am with all these words in my head and I'm starting to think of ways in which one becomes "wise". Is wisdom learned or does it come from experiences? I want to be wise and I need to know how to do this.

This is where Proverbs 9 comes in, verse 10 to be exact:

"The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom, and the knowledge of the Holy one is insight."

This is where I have been stuck. It's not that I don't understand what the verse is saying, but that I cannot stop pondering what it means to fear the LORD and if I really even do.

I'll be looking farther into this and will get back to you, but for now it's off to work for me.

Partner Ministry

The full time ministry track participants for URBN Experience spend fifteen hours a week with a partner ministry. This year there are only two partner ministries (Jeff Street Baptists and Scarlet Hope)however, for next year's program there will be four. Today we got to tour one of the new partner ministries A Woman's Choice(AWC) which is a non-profit special health clinic that is designed to educate and assist women. AWC offers services such as free pregnancy screenings, counseling for women of past abortions, maternity and infant clothing supplies, and information on abortion, adoption, and pregnancy.

This was a pretty eye-opening experience for me since I have never been in this type of situation. It really brought to my attention the amount of love, not only these women need but that everyone needs as well as how uneducated most people are about pregnancy and the options that are available to them. Although I will not be partnering with AWC I am excited to see where this new partnership URBN has will go.

Resting in God.

Oh my, what a week it has been! in a span of seven days I have traveled from Georgia to Kentucky, attended a missions conference, and have just returned from a weekended at the Abbey of Gethsemani. The Abbey of Gethsemani is a monastery here in Kentucky about an hour south of Louisville. The Cross Conference was something else, but this past weekend I experienced something I have never experienced before. I was finally able to rest in God.

Monasteries are places of worship, study, reflection, and most of all silence. All throughout the facility where signs that read "Silence is spoken here." I literally cannot think of a day when I have been silent; I'm quite the talker. However, in this new environment I "forced" to practice the art of silence. For those of you who are chatty Kathy's I know this sounds stressful, and it did to me at first as well, but the silence was surprisingly peaceful.

During this three day weekend at the Abbey I was able to focus solely on God. I turned my phone off and put it away and brought out my Bible, journal, and a few books that I had just gotten at Cross Conference. This atmosphere of silence allowed for me to have minimal distractions and was truly a blessing! I would encourage each and every person, Christian or not, to experience a weekend get away to a monastery.

Here are a few lines from my journal that weekend that continue to encourage me on a daily basis:

1. "I want to know you LORD! I want to know you more deeply than before!"

2. "You are beautiful LORD and you are worthy of my whole heart."

3. "How great is the Father's love for us!"

4. "Let us find peace, comfort, and rest in you and you alone LORD for you are enough."

5. "I want to be patient and rest in you Lord."