It's a Good Morning!

The Bible

Psalm 139:3
"YOU see me when I travel and when I rest at home. YOU know everything I do."

Psalm 139: 9-10
"If I ride the wings of the morning, if I dwell by the farthest oceans, even there YOUR hand will guide me, and YOUR strength will support me."

GOD is faithful. It is such a comfort and encouragement to read verses like these while I am far from home. I don't just know that HE is near me from reading the Bible, though. Through taking care of me, providing for me, blessing me with an abundance of friends and people who love me here, HE continually shows me day by day that HE is right by my side every step of the way. GOD is awesome, guys! I hope these verses are an encouragement to you too. No matter where you are or what you are going through, GOD is right there by your side. Here's another one:

Lamentations 3:23
"Great is HIS faithfulness; HIS mercies begin afresh every morning."

Now, the fact that this verse comes up in a book of the Bible called Lamentations is amazing to me. The whole book of Lamentations is about the Israelites lamenting that they are being punished, and yet a whole section of chapter 3 is all about how they know that GOD is still faithful too them. GOD's promises never fail, and we know that HE is faithful to us too, in every situation whether joyful or grief-filled. I love that part of the verse where it says that HIS mercies are new each morning. Isn't that great to know that when you wake up in the morning, HE is right there to get you started on a fresh new day? In the Bible study I am doing from Beth Moore, she made a point a few weeks ago that stuck with me: The Israelites were given manna (bread from heaven) each morning, but they had to go out and gather it right away or it would disappear when the sun rose. In this same way, we are given mercy from GOD each morning, but we must go out and gather it up. We must take hold of the mercy HE gives us instead of trying to make it on our own. I have to remind myself this, and I even wrote in my Bible next to Lamentations 3:23: I must gather what GOD provides; it is partially my responsibility. Don't lay in self-pity! Gather HIS mercy!

If you are waking up right now to start your new day, this is for you! GOD bless your new, mercy-filled day :)

Growing Roots and Sprouting Wings

^This has been on my mind a lot this week. Roots. Wings. Roots to me means living somewhere where one of the first questions people ask me is not "So, how long are you here for?" or "When do you fly back home?". Roots is making friends that I don't have to worry about missing in a few months. Roots is getting to actually decorate my room. Roots is looking out the window and knowing that I will be able to enjoy this view indefinitely. I have not grown roots. I'm not really sure how to start. Because to grow roots, you have to pick a spot. And picking a place is that much harder when you aren't sure where God is leading you.

But that isn't to say that I don't have the wings part down pretty solid. I know how to find an adventure if I want one. I know how to make friends on a moment's notice. I can find temporary housing, and pack my life into my blue rolling duffle bag (although it still scares me to see my life wrapped up in one large tote).  I know how to look at the view and think, "I'm going to think back on this moment and remember it for the rest of my life." I know that making more friends and having more experiences makes life that much richer, but it also gives you more to miss later on.

This week I met an amazing group of Istanbullus, ex-pats and Turkish natives who love Christ with all of their hearts. They were so loving and opened up their homes to me this week as we had Bible study together and spent time building our friendships. God has really been speaking to me through the story of Moses, which we discussed this week and which I have been studying on my own in our Beth Moore Bible study guide A Women's Heart. Moses had an amazing childhood, I'm sure, as he was raised as a prince of Egypt. He had all the splendor, had all the wealth, had all the comforts, and had a loving family. But God led him into the desert, which was a far cry from the comforts of Pharoah's palace, and used him to rescue the Israelites from the country he had called home. An action, an event, that changed history forever. Moses had roots, but God called him to have wings. God called him to live a life that wasn't comfortable, but that was full of love and purpose. God used Moses.

I want God to use me too. But I don't know if that means growing roots or keeping my wings. Because I have seen this past week how amazing it is for Christians to join together in a permanent community and grow roots in their city. Where they can go through life together and not have to worry about planning good-bye parties every few weeks or months. Where they can reach those around them and really build every-day relationships that will last a lifetime. 

I would really appreciate your prayers as I make plans and try to make sure I am following God's will for my life. I am trying to graduate this spring, but right now that is up in the air because of my courses I have left for my degree. And I need to figure out what I will do after graduating so I can start applying to the right things (roots or wings part). Thanks! 

Miss all of you in the States and hope you are having a wonderful autumn...appreciate the red leaves and fall-decorating for me :) Friends in Turkey - thanks for reading :)

Your faithful nomad, 

Kaelin