Beauty

The Fall is my favorite time of the year. I guess my name suits me well. :) It is a time of year when it starts cooling off, the trees turn into bright oranges, yellows, and reds, farmers are harvesting the pumpkins, there are hayrides, festivals, fun decorations, and a lot of my favorite foods are popular this time of year.  So - being in Phoenix has changed that a little - I have to approach it in a different way this year, and I definitely do miss the beauty of the Fall in other parts of the country that aren't quite so "desert - like."  It is stil HOT here even in mid October with temperatures still soaring into the upper 90's every day.  There are no colorful trees - the trees we do have are still all green & I have a feeling that when it does cool off they will just turn brown or something.  Despite that, I am so blessed and remember that another characteristic of this season is that generally people specifically take time to think of their blessings.  We should do this every day regardless of the season, but in this culture it is definitely easy to think of these things this time of year.  So I just want to list some of the things that I have been blessed by the past couple of weeks.

• My Mama came to visit me this past week. It was so wonderful to see her & spend those few days together! We did a lot of fun stuff, but pertaining to "Fall" we experienced some of the season (yes, even here in Phoenix) by going to a pumpkin patch and corn maze this past weekend. It was such a fun night of just laughing and being out in the night air (which was significantly cooler once the sun went down)
• I have finally settled into my new place that I will likely be in for several months & am also blessed to have a great roommate who is passionate about the Lord.
• It only takes me a couple of hours to drive to one of my favorite places in the world.  If you have spent more than 5 minutes with me you probably don't even have to ask where I'm talking about. :) I spent the past 2 weekends there and was blessed by every bit of it. Sometimes crazy things happen that might catch me off guard, but even in those moments I know I am blessed by God. (That's a story for another time...probably not something to post in a blog). 
• It is a blessing to see how the kids I work with on a daily basis are progressing and how what I'm doing is making a difference in their lives.  
• Hearing how God is working in my friends lives blesses and encourages me immensely.  It is such a joy to hear of their faith stories and how He is guiding/teaching them. 
• Skype conversations with a precious friend just to catch up on any & everything and to encourage one another just blesses my heart & life so much. 
• Talking with family and friends from the Southeast helps me to remember that I'm not just out here alone, but there are people who love and support me and that I'm being lifted up in prayer.  It makes a big difference in how my days go knowing that I'm thought of and cared for.  Those kinds of things can make a world of difference in how we approach situations. I was thinking about that today...you know, having a friend stand by you gives you such a confidence that you don't always have when you feel you are standing alone. YET, even when we do feel alone - God is ALWAYS standing with us as His children - so we ultimately receive our courage and confidence from Him.  It is nice to have people loving & supporting us also in ways that we can feel & see. 

There are other things and closer to Thanksgiving I plan to write a blog listing general statements of life that I've been blessed by that encompass more than just a short span of a few weeks. There is also more that I could probably write now, but I don't want this one to be way long for now :)    

Seeing God in the "Ordinary"

What do ice-cream, roast, pumpkin spice latte, and steak all have in common?

“They’re all foods…”  WRONG. Well, right…but not the answer I’m looking for.  I would say they are all reminders of God’s blessings on my life and His provision.  These are all things that I have consumed this past week due to God’s grace.  I know that may sound like a weird statement, but please bear with me. I have a story for each of them that exemplifies how God loves and cares for us in so many different ways if we would only look to see it.  This past week I have been really stretched for cash because it was the end/beginning of the month, moving across the country brought with it extra expenses out of the ordinary, and I wouldn't receive any income at all from my new job until near the end of the first week of October (Thursday to be exact).  ALL of these following things occurred in the past week & ½.
**Also before I proceed - want to say a HUGE THANK YOU to several people. Your generosity with gift cards & donations literally got me through this first month here because God used you to provide the finances I needed during September - a couple of you I just received gift cards from yesterday - & these will most definitely help me out with buying groceries this month. Thank you thank you thank you!!**

1. Ice-Cream?

                If you know me well, you know that chocolate ice-cream is one of my weaknesses. J When you are low on cash, you don’t really go for food item choices that are your favorite but not quite as nutritional – at least I didn’t…I stuck with the basics and bought just enough food to get me through the week.  Insert random story # 1 here:  A few weeks ago (when I did have a little more cash) I had a break during my workday & decided to treat myself with an ice-cream, leading to the event that happened next.  I began talking with the girl behind the counter because she noticed my I <3 NY shirt & she mentioned that she grew up there.  No one was in line behind me so we ended up talking for probably 10 minutes while I just ate my ice-cream standing there. She asked me what I was doing in Phoenix because I mentioned just having moved here. I shared my story with her and she told me of how she came to know Christ just a few years ago and how He has radically changed her life – a total 180 from the path she was going down leading to self-destruction (aren’t we all before we know Christ? But hers would have been obvious to anyone because it was more of a visible thing…) It was a blessing to speak with her and she told me that she wished I could meet her husband because He was really passionate about missions.  Leaving the parking lot I, unfortunately, backed into a car who I didn’t see pull up. The people in the car were so merciful and with there being a visible scratch on both of our cars, but not horrible, I offered to just pay Him for the paint. He looked at it, back at me and said, “Have a nice day.”  After double checking to make sure they were okay with it – I got into my car and began to cry at the mercy that stranger had shown me.  Immediately I was reminded of God’s mercy upon our lives. We have definitely made more than a “scratch” with our sinful nature, yet covered in the blood of Christ we walk away not owing a debt.  THAT is mercy. That the Holy Perfect God of the universe would look upon us as believers and seeing us through what Christ did on the cross, in a sense say, “have a nice day. You don’t have to pay the debt. It has already been paid.”  Okay, so fast-forward 2 weeks. I call the girl because she’d mentioned wanting me to come with her to a Bible study just to get to know more people in the community and dive into the Word with them.  When I spoke with her on the phone she immediately remembered me and we made plans to meet at her ice-cream store for me to follow her to the church when she got off work. She also mentioned that I DID in fact meet her husband – he was the one driving the car that I backed into. Talk about random & how that all turned out. She said that he wanted to apologize for joking that day & saying “ummm….$8000 will cover it.” To which I told her I was glad he joked because it lightened the moment. Seriously though, I backed into his car & HE is apologizing?! God really taught me a lot through their example. To top it off, when I met her before Bible study she gives me an ice-cream (my favorite flavor of course) & tells me it’s “on the house.” Sometimes God provides for us in the most unlikely of circumstances. 

2. Roast?

                This story just touches my heart because God brought a familiar face across my path as I was starting to get tired of being SO far away from everyone I know well.  Interestingly enough, a girl who I have known for several years because her dad goes to my home church in Alabama, actually lives about 20 minutes from me out here in Arizona.  She & her husband invited me over for dinner and they cooked a full meal – complete with vegetables, roast, bread, salad, and even cake J It was exactly what I needed that day and such a blessing to sit and talk with someone who knows people I know.  It refreshed my soul.  Plus, there’s no way I could have afforded a meal like that this past week. God provided above & beyond what I would have asked for!  

3. Pumpkin Spice Latte?

                Now, this drink is AMAZING if you have never had it – I recommend it. J It had been “one of those days” – you know, the kind where you just want to go to bed and start over afresh because the day just wore me out and I still had another 2 hour session with a client before I could just chill out.  I NEEDED a coffee….not wanted but needed. Haha J Some of you know exactly what I mean here.  I went into Starbucks & the most random thing happened. I attribute it to God giving me a free coffee, because the circumstances that occurred were so out of the ordinary.  The guy in front of me in line was taking an extraordinarily long time up there talking to the cashier because of confusion over a giftcard.  The lady behind the counter who was making the drinks told me to just come around him & go ahead & tell her what I wanted.  I did & she went ahead & made my drink - & THEN told the cashier what I’d ordered so she could ring it up.  For some reason my card would not work – odd, because I’d JUST used it at a gas station not 10 minutes before and also knew there was enough money in my account to cover it. Hmmm…so I start digging in purse & wallet frantically searching for another form of payment….nothing. I look at lady & tell her to cancel my order.  Since it was already made she said for me to go ahead & take it and that it was fine.  (I mean, it was just a latte… & I hadn’t drunk from it – she could’ve given it to someone else – but she didn’t.) What are the odds that I would be the one behind the guy in line taking a long time & that the one making the drinks would tell me to go around before me paying, etc.? The way things occurred I just had to thank God for the free coffee He’d just provided me with on a day that I felt I needed it most.  Maybe it was just coincidence, but I’m claiming that it was God’s provision in that moment for something that would lift up my day. 

4. Steak?

                On a day that I just really needed “friend time” I met up with a friend in downtown who invited me to dinner with a few people, one of which was cooking the meal.  I get there, & we have steak and potatoes. I needed protein at this point because I had not had any in at least 3 or 4 days.  Didn’t buy meat at store because I couldn’t really afford it that day and knew I could buy it later when I could make a bigger trip to store later on.  Not only did I get protein, but a STEAK. It was great and I was again reminded of how God cares for me.

So do I believe that God always provides for our “wants”? Absolutely not.  I know He doesn’t always do that – we don’t always know what is best for us and most of the time we want things that aren’t even necessities.  But there are times that God provides blessings and grace to us to provide us with some of those “wants” Yet, in these circumstances I believe God did those things for me not because I “wanted” or “needed” them, but to teach me more of Himself and how I could depend on HIM as provider rather than myself.  I was trying to figure out how I could make it through that week and HE wanted me to learn that it is NOT ME that I should depend on – but HIM ALONE. In EVERY circumstance of my life, not just with basic survival, but with every part of my life – He wants me to rely on Him and put all of my trust and faith in Him when it would be easy to try to take control myself. 

Sorry this blog was so long, but it had been a while since I posted & I really wanted to give an example of how the Lord has been working in everyday circumstances of my life, and how God can speak to us and reveal Himself to us through even the most random or basic of circumstances if we would only pay attention and look for Him.  I hope through it you have somehow seen more of His grace and would encourage you to look for these things in your own life as well. (maybe not in the form of food, but whatever circumstances may come along your path each day). 

9/11 - Ten Years Later.

It was a day that changed all of us. In an instant our worldview shifted and we were brought to feelings of terror, anger, heartbreak, and confusion.  Most of us could still tell you the specific details of where we were and what we were doing when we heard the news.  It was Tuesday, September 11, 2001.

I had just walked into my high school choir class when I learned of the attacks.  We watched in horror as we saw the twin towers burning & as the news stations continued to cover the events as the pentagon was struck, both of the WTC towers collapsed, and as United Flight 93 crashed into a field in Pennsylvania.  All day at school we watched the news and I remember how sad and afraid it made me feel.  That night we had a somber prayer meeting at our church and I just remember how solemn everyone was and how much we were holding tight to one another.  

  

10 years later: 09.11.11 –

It still makes me my heart ache and my stomach feel sick when I think of the events of that day.  I get a lump in my throat as I watch images on television replaying what happened ten years ago.  At the same time I am proud to call myself an American.  I see a country who rose up to a challenge and did not let it defeat us.  Sure we have had some incredibly difficult days, some people’s lives were affected that day by the loss of family and friends – and they are still dealing with mourning, yet somehow our nation is still strong.  We are brave and we continue to honor and remember those who were lost that day and those who gave their lives as heroes trying to save others. I pray that we always continue to remember and to pray for the families of those affected and for our nation.  May we fall on our face before God and pray for healing and renewal in our country.

 

This day reminds me of how quickly life can change.  We do not know what will happen tomorrow and we are never promised tomorrow.  We only have today.  I hope that we will choose to live in such a way that we minimize regrets. (I say it that way because in the flesh we cannot get away from having no regrets…we can only strive to do the best). I want to love in a way that others see how much I care for them and see Christ through me.  I want my family and friends to know just how much I love them and that I pray for them and carry burdens for them.  So right now I want to say “I love you.” I don’t want to just assume that you know.  As I heard on a radio station the other day, even though it has been years, somewhere somebody is going through their own personal “9/11” in their lives where their world is falling apart.  May we love them and seek to be an encouragement and help in their lives.  Each of us go through times like this in our lives, I know when things are falling apart in my life it is in knowing the love of Christ and in seeing someone come alongside me to walk with me that helps get me through those times.  In light of the events of 9/11 and in remembering the frailty of life, I want to always speak Christ and love people enough to tell them how much He loves them.      

Glimpses of Grace

Many days I find myself asking God, “Why did you send me to Phoenix?” Arizona? – Sure. I understand that part – it captured my heart years ago… but Phoenix??? I’m still trying to acclimate to this city and to find “my place” here. I know that there is a purpose for me being here, and I know that this is where God wants me at this time – He has clearly orchestrated all of it.  That being said, it is still difficult many days trying to adjust to this place. “Well it’s the desert, Autumn” you might say.  I love the desert – I think God created me for a climate such as this, it just sets well with me. That might make me weird, but I don’t care.  I don’t want to be a “typical American” – what is typical anyways??  I wouldn’t have been surprised to have found myself in a small village in the middle of the desert miles from anything. But I was surprised to find that God wanted to send me to Phoenix – one of the largest cities in the nation. I don’t expect to know an answer immediately, but am thankful for His grace and for showing me little glimpses of it each day.

I see his grace in the smile of a child I am doing therapy with for my job.  His grace is in the clouds as they shelter the city from the sun and lower the temperature even by a few degrees bringing some relief from the heat.  His grace is around me in the family who has so graciously offered for me to stay with them temporarily as I’m transitioning and looking for a place to live.  It’s in the laughter of the 3 precious kids who are living with me and the smiles at dinner when I have a seat between them.  His grace is in a chance meeting with another woman originally from Alabama who struck up conversation with me at Starbucks (and who also asked if she could pray for me before I left).  It’s in the acceptance of 5 inner city kids as we cooked dinner and made friendship bracelets.  And I found His grace in the random meeting of a new friend who just so happens to know some of my friends from New Orleans. God blessed me through that and reminded me that He is everywhere, and His people are all over the world…and sent a little smile my way as I felt a connection that helped me to take a deep breath and relax. 

So thankful for the love of my God and for the way He shows me He cares for me. J

Moving Out West...

Hey friends! Sorry it has been so long since I blogged.  These past few weeks have been crazy, blessed, emotional, and life changing.  Most of you who are reading this already know that God is leading me out to Arizona to live and to do ministry at this time.  The process has seemed a long time coming – yet, once it got rolling I had only a matter of days to get my things together there & to get things in order for moving out West.  That being said, I packed up & pulled out of the driveway last Thursday morning headed for over 1700 miles of driving spread across 3 days with the best sister in the world. J In this blog I just wanted to share a few of the highlights from our trip out.

Day 1: We saw 5 states this day…AL, MS, TN, AR, & OK.  Two of those I had never been to before (AR & OK).  We tried to give a synopsis of each state as we went through (on a video) & so I’ll give you the rundown of what we decided here. AL – well, we are from there…don’t really have a new epiphany about it or anything – just that it’s beautiful & a wonderful state.  Mississippi – I don’t remember too much about it because I got less than 4 hrs. of sleep the night before & slept whenever I wasn’t in the driver’s seat…but it looks pretty much just like AL in landscaping. Tennessee – We only hit the tip of it – yet neither of us had been through Memphis before, so that was cool. Arkansas – We crossed the Mississippi River coming into AR & I enjoyed that part a lot…it reminded me of New Orleans & walking/running down by the river with great friends. We also decided that Arkansas has A LOT of farms.  Oklahoma – I was most excited to see Oklahoma. The main reason being that Carrie Underwood is from there (haha…no, seriously!) Eastern Oklahoma looked a lot like Arkansas  & it was still pretty hilly & green (I was expecting flat or rolling plains. Haha) It was really cool though – best part of day 1 = seeing Carrie’s hometown.  We are talking – I’ve wanted to see her “road sign” for 6 years…& finally got to! Haha! If you’ve ever heard the song “I Ain’t in Checotah Anymore”, we saw most of those things that she mentions in the song. 14+ hrs. on the road (that’s including stops we made) equaled 2 very tired girls.

Day 2:  We went through the Western half of Oklahoma, through the panhandle of Texas, and down to Albuquerque, New Mexico where we stopped for the night.  The western part of OK is very different than the eastern.  It was a lot more flat with land stretching for miles.  We stopped at a little town where there was a Native American trading post. We had fun making pictures with the buffalo statues, teepees, and totem poles.  At this point we also found the historic Route 66 and drove down it for several miles.  It had been patched multiple times and was unmarked. We only knew where it was by asking a local.  Once we got into Texas we discovered why many people have a hard time driving through it.  There was literally nothing for miles.  I think the only city (or town even) that we went through was Amarillo.  We called this the “sleepy” state because we almost fell asleep driving through it.  New Mexico is BEAUTIFUL. The terrain changes so much & it was a gorgeous drive.  We also found Route 66 in NM & stopped to take pictures with a sign. (the originals have all been torn down or stolen, but there are signs marking it in some places).  The place where we stayed in Albuquerque was only a few minutes from “Old Town Albuquerque” (a historic location) that is so cute & has really unique stores & a church that has been there for over 200 years.  As a side note: *Kendall, if you’re reading this…a GREAT place for picture taking adventures! SUCH cute buildings & little nooks & stuff*  Anyways, we enjoyed our time in Albuquerque!

Day 3: We started out by walking through “Old Town Albuquerque” & taking some fun pictures.  Following that we went to a place called Petroglyph National Monument.  It was a really neat place where there were 100’s of petroglyph drawings on rocks by Native Americans long long ago.  After hiking a little up those rocks, we continued on our journey through New Mexico.  As we came into Arizona we stopped to take multiple pictures with the state welcome sign & to get information from the welcome center.  Day 3 (Saturday) was a busy & very full day! We then spent a couple of hours in the Painted Desert/Petrified Forest.  It was really awesome to get to see those glorious creations that God has made.  He makes beautiful & interesting things that all serve to proclaim His glory.  We ended up stopping in Winslow later on also to take pictures “standin on a corner.” It is such a quaint & cute little town! Eventually as the sun set on our day we finally arrived at the home where a family has so graciously offered for me to stay temporarily while I search for a more permanent residence.  God is good & He blessed our travels out here!  Thanks for reading & I hope to post an update soon about what God is showing me out here!  I just wanted to share with you the journey of relocating. Please continue to keep me in your prayers as I am learning day by day what God is doing out here. 

Jars of Clay

"But we have this treasure in jars of clay to show that this all-surpassing power is from God and not from us." 2 Corinthians 4:7

"Yet you, Lord, are our Father. We are the clay, you are the potter; we are all the work of your hand." Isaiah 64:8

This past week I experienced making traditional pottery here.  It was a great learning experience both about the culture here and also in a spiritual way.  God reminded me of truths in His Word and it came to life in a new way for me as I formed the clay pot myself and saw first hand different aspects of making pottery and how He relates it to our lives in Scripture.  We began with a lump of clay which we began to form and stretch.  As I worked on it (through many different steps) I took away and added more clay as needed.  I had to get my hands dirty in the process.  It was not something that I could do from a distance and just watch the jar come into shape on its own.  It took me as the "potter" to form this bowl/jar/pot whatever you choose to call it.  God as the master potter did not just leave us as a lump.  He is intimately involved in the details of our lives.  He forms us with His hands - He cares about the details of our lives. 

The lady who was showing me the steps pointed out how all of our jars looked different (it was a class so there were several of us making pottery).  Each one was unique.  God forms each of us uniquely to glorify Him.  We are all different and He has gifted us with things that would most glorify Him through our lives.  We are the most full of joy and serve God in the way that He has purposed when we are living out the life that God has uniquely called us to.  This does not look the same for any two people.  Each jar of clay has their own story.  
The teacher of the pottery class also pointed out that oftentimes the pottery gets cracks in it and none of them are perfect.  God chooses to use imperfect people to bring Him glory.  We all have flaws and cracks, and we all fail at times.  Yet, God, in His great mercy, grace, and love provides redemption for us (ultimately from the debt of sin, but also on a daily basis as His gives us mercies anew).  The teacher of the pottery class also pointed out that the final step in making the pottery was to put it in fire.  The purpose was to finish it and to make it strong so it wouldn't melt or break apart easily.  God reminded me that (though it's not the final step for Christ Followers, because we will not suffer the eternal fire) - but that sometimes we walk through the fire and He allows us to go through times of trial and temporary suffering at times.  In Zechariah 13:9 God tells us that "...I will bring the third part through the fire, Refine them as silver is refined, And test them as gold is tested. They will call on My name, And I will answer them; I will say, ‘They are My people,’ And they will say, ‘The LORD is my God.’”  In these times of trial our faith can be strengthened and He uses it to refine us and make us stronger.  It was a great time of learning and of spending time with friends here and meeting new ones.  Amazed that God continually teaches me through everyday occurrences such as going to a pottery class.  He is so Good.  


   

Quiet Moments.

It’s been a little over two weeks since I’ve been here….2 weeks. Fourteen days…it’s AMAZING how much you can cram into that short of a time and how many ways you can see God working if you are really looking for Him.  I have been doing things such as VBS, block parties in several different locations, visited the nursing home, had Bible studies, and we will start a 3 day crusade tonight.  Yet, the stories I want to tell you are ones that if I didn’t slow down enough to notice, I might have missed.  Some of the times when God has taught and blessed me the most were in the quiet moments.  It’s in hearing His still small voice through the smile of a child, or in precious moments with kids late at night talking on the basketball court…etc.  So I will share a few of those stories with you. 

“I don’t have any clothes except my school clothes and these jeans.”  When I lived & worked in New Orleans I expected to see people who only had the clothes on their back…wasn’t surprised when they came to our door and asked for a t-shirt or a cup of water.  Yet, out here even though there is extreme poverty, I was somehow taken by surprise when one of the little boys (who has captured my heart) said those words to me.  He broke my heart and brought a smile to my face at the same time…I couldn’t help it – he had a grin from ear to ear radiating off his sweet little face.  You see, this little boy had worn the same clothes everyday for at least 2 weeks (it was his school uniform).  I thought maybe he just didn’t care to change because his family (though they often had on the same clothes several times a week) changed their clothing.  But after several days, we asked if he’d like to come inside and maybe get a new pair of pants.  He came inside and began to look through the clothing we’d set out on the tables – with each shirt we handed him & that fit his smile got wider.  “Do you like this one?” I asked.  “Yes! I don’t have any clothes except my school clothes and these jeans.” he replied.  Once he was loaded down with a few shirts and new shorts/pants he jumped on his bicycle to race home and put his clothes away before anything happened to them.  I think he wore all 3 or 4 of the shirts we gave him that very day…just excited to have something else to wear.  God reminded me of how He has blessed us in order that we may be able to bless others.  We are not to just sit and soak…rather He wants to bless others through us with the blessings He has given us (whether that be our time, talents, or possessions).  He also reminded me the importance of paying attention.  You never know who is going to come across your path each and every day that God may have brought to you for a specific reason.  It’s easy to get into a routine and to forget that we are really here to reach out to people around us – and everything else is just extra (yes, God blesses us and allows us to have joy through other things – but our main purpose is to SERVE Him though every single thing we do). Open our eyes to a broken and hurting world.

There are a few kids that have come to really grow on me because I’ve watched them grow up from babies to older kids (or little kids to teenagers).  Because of this I feel we have a special relationship – yet, what it looks like has changed over time.  Especially with the older kids…they used to be the first ones to run up & jump on my back or give me the world’s biggest hug.  Now, if they were to run & jump on my back I’d probably be shocked – that is after picking myself off the ground because they are bigger than me now.  But even though they don’t do that – they show me their care in a different way.  There is one kid who now does not like to come around during the day time.  He prefers to be under the cover of night – and at first I thought that he just did not want to come around at all. Yet, he started making his way over little by little as there weren’t many people around and it was dark.  Then one night last week after all the team had gone inside, he and his siblings came over and sat on the basketball court. We got a chance to talk about goals and his hopes for the future.  You see, I worry about these kids as if they were my own.  I want to see them succeed and I want to see them doing well – my heart breaks for them when I know they are hurting.  It’s moments like that night…when I got to spend that precious time with those kids for about an hour in the quiet of the night, that I perhaps treasure the most.  After-all life really is about the relationships – our relationship with God, and with other people.  Once all else is stripped away it is HIS WORD that will remain and the relationship we had with Him and others through Him. 

Sunday the Pastor I was listening to said something like this… “When people see me they say something like - oh Pastor, I really enjoy being around you and talking to you.” He said that is when he wants to just tell them “No, you really wouldn’t like ME. What you like is JESUS who is IN me. I am nothing but a filthy mess…it is JESUS that you want. HE is the One that you are seeing when you are drawn towards me.” That may not be his exact quote word for word – but that is the basic point he was getting across.  Without Jesus working in and through us we stink.  The flesh always fails, yet Christ is victorious and ANY good that is in us is because of HIM. I want to always remember that – the power of Jesus and how He is the One that enables me to do anything of worth – because on my own I could do nothing that would matter at all.  It is easy for me (and for us as humans) to want to be prideful or to take credit for something good – yet it is not us at all.  It is Christ working through us & He is the One who deserves ALL of the glory.  J