Grace Upon Grace...

HELLO my Beautiful and Wonderful Kaleo Family!! I can hardly believe the last time I saw most of you was before I went to Hawaii! (Except for Rivs... and Matthew Newton who I got to drive to the ferry this afternoon!!) A few of you have been asking about my trip, so let me tell you about it:

Amanda, Nicki and I had a fantastic time on Oahu! It was beautiful and warm. I did a whole lot of nothing; a time to just "be." No internet, no email, no cell phone, I didn't even plan anything!! I let the girls plan and I just went happily along with whatever they did, which was perfect for me - so restful. We went swimming, snorkeling, got sunburned our second day there, went shopping, to Starbucks every day for our "Mocha Coconut Frappuccino," drove up to the North Shore to check out the beaches, took in a Hawaiian Luau show, and met all kinds of interesting people. Our time there ended so well, with much laughter, great memories, and a sense of wholeness. I came home refreshed and thankful.

I have LOVED reading your blog posts! Haven't commented on them as much as I would like to, but I am tracking with you and am praying for you daily. KNOW that I love you tremendously. You are in my thoughts constantly, and in my heart always.

The Lord has reiterated over and over how I am to embrace this slower pace of life right now. And so I've been walking, praying, pausing often, and doing life at a slower pace. The Lord is calling me to a time of solitude/silence/rest/stillness/whatever-you-want-to-call-it. ...Truthfully, He's calling me to "Listen." And, for the first time in a long while, I am eager to do so. It hasn't come without struggle. But if there wasn't any struggle than it wouldn't really be worth it, would it?!! (Think back to how our group persevered through the first semester to receive the benefit of sweet community in the second.)

So, my friends, the word of the day: Keep persevering... because we KNOW that these daily struggles are achieving for us an eternal weight of glory that far outweighs them all.