December Update

Hello fellow supporters! I can't believe its almost the end of January! December was a very busy month but just like that it came and went.

I struggled to write the blog for this month because I found myself feeling reluctant about the way I felt in December. With Christmas party planning and executing, Omicrion scares and cold symptoms, trying to catch up with the ever-busy-studying-for-finals girls in my cores, debriefing the semester's happenings and brainstorming happenings for the next, navigating personal relationships, and writing, rewriting, and preaching my sermon as well as listening to 18 others, I felt myself continuously pacing back and forth on the spectrum between rest and uneasiness. 

I had this constant feeling of knowing that the 2 week break was so close, but also knowing that it wasn't here yet, and that there were still so many things I needed to finish well. I remember feeling like "Yes! The break is here...just not quite yet." As I finished out the last two-ish weeks of the semester I couldn't help but think about the theological concept of the "already, but not yet" reality we live in as followers of Jesus. 

For those of you who are not familiar with what I mean when I say "already, but not yet," a brief summary of the concept is that as believers we are already living out the kingdom vision, but it has not yet fully come to fruition. We live and act out the values and ways of God's kingdom although his kingdom on Earth is still waiting to be fully realized. 

This previous semester showed me that, yes, Jesus is here and he is very much present in my life and all those involved this ministry, but everything is still in process. His presence with us doesn't mean that everything just falls into place, that things come at no cost, or that we will always feel happy-go-lucky and seemingly untouched by life (like I prefer!). But it does mean, simply, that He is with us. He's present in the event plannings and executions. He's present when our plans and relational needs get flipped around because of COVID. He's present in the gaps between the big deals that me and the girls in my core last discussed. He's present in the conflicts on my campus team. He's present in the pains and misunderstandings in my relationships. He is even present in the very circular, very disjointed process of my writing. 

Just the same way that he is present with me and the variety of my situations, so He is with you.  He is with us now and not fully yet, so lets be encouraged and expectant as we wait to see the fullness of His glory come on Earth as it is in heaven. The holidays are a busy time, filled with a a sometimes dense, mixed bag of emotions and realities for everyone. But God in his beauty and wisdom saw it fit not to clean up every single mess, keeping us sheltered, but instead chose to sit and walk through the messy mixed bag with us. Emmanuel, God with us. Yes things are still in process and incomplete, but we can take little exhales in remembrance that the best is yet to come. 

That is what I got to see and learn about God in the previous month.

Romans 8:18-27

18 I consider that our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us. 19 For the creation waits in eager expectation for the children of God to be revealed. 20 For the creation was subjected to frustration, not by its own choice, but by the will of the one who subjected it,in hope 21 that[a] the creation itself will be liberated from its bondage to decayand brought into the freedom and glory of the children of God.

22 We know that the whole creation has been groaning as in the pains of childbirth right up to the present time. 23 Not only so, but we ourselves, who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly as we wait eagerly for our adoption to sonship, the redemption of our bodies. 24 For in this hope we were saved. But hope that is seen is no hope at all. Who hopes for what they already have? 25 But if we hope for what we do not yet have, we wait for it patiently.

26 In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us through wordless groans. 27 And he who searches our hearts knows the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for God’s people in accordance with the will of God

 Enjoy some highlights from December below!

                                                 

Being able to see a group of guys get up on the karaoke mic and sing a very off key "Baby Its Cold Outside" for the entertainment and benefit of others will be one of the things I remember always!  

My core (small group) minus 4! From left to right: Ashlie, Chasity, Arielle, Cathryn (my co-facilitator), Zaili and then me. We are missing Hannah, Serenity, Caroline, and Skyler! I think we made out for a cute picture 😁

A snap shot of the students listening in to our Christmas Homily

Our staff Christmas party. I don't have it in the picture, but we had it catered by Chiloso. IF YOU DONT KNOW YOU GOTTA FIND OUT!

This is a snapshot of our core sleepover! I have to admit that these homemade chicken enchiladas were def better than Chiloso! They were made by Arielle's (front left) mom, and I tell you they were to die for. 

And here we are with more Mexican food lol. Well...this was Tex-Mex. Anywho, we exchanged our usual Friday Night Fellowship for a night of fellowship at a restaurant called Rosa's for the few students who were still in town. 

Here are 2 more girls from my core that were missing in our Christmas Party photo a the top. This is Serenity (left) and Hannah (right). They came and popped up to watch the modern dance class that I teach every Tuesday night. It was such a sweet surprise! 

Here is a snapshot of me when I preached my 1st full length sermon. I was on the last day out of 4, and after hearing the stellar sermons that my colleagues presented, you can imagine how many drafts I wrote 🙀. It turned out well however. This sermon assignment was for us to write about what the Gospel means to us/what Jesus has done in our lives. The tag line of my sermon was "Amazing Grace, how sweet the sound, that saved a wretch like me." As a short summary I shared about how I have seen God pursue me trough my life despite the mess of a person I am, and I am saved by his grace. I know that I informed you all in my last blog post that I was going to share my sermon with you all at large, but I have changed my mind due to sensitive information that I no longer think I am comfortable sharing further. Please contact me with any questions or requests.

And last but not least here is a picture of my siblings and cousins on Christmas Day! From front to back, left to right: Chanel, Jazzmine, Joii, Aneesah, little cousin who's name I can't remember, another little cousin who's name I can't remember, me, another cousin who's name I can't remember, Darius, and Dominic. 

Thank you all for reading this and thank you for your willingness to pour into The Kingdom and my life the way that you have. I am so grateful for your support and prayers. Praying for a year where you taste see and feel that The Lord is with you.