Sending some love from SD

Enough

The roof is low, and one light bulb dangles from the middle of the ceiling as the sole source of illumination.  No sound system.  No band.  No guitar.  No entertainment.  No cushioned chairs.  No heated or air-conditioned building.  Nothing but the people of God and the Word of God.  And strangely, that's enough.

God's word is enough for million of believers who gather in house churches just like this one.  His word is enough for millions of other believers who huddle in African jungles, South American rain forests, and Middle Eastern cities.

But is his Word enough for us?
This is the question that often haunts me when I stand before a crowd of thousands of people in the church I pastor.

What if we take away the cool music and the cushioned chairs?  What if the screens are gone and the stage is no longer decorated?  What if they air conditioning is off and the comforts are removed?  Would his Word still be enough for his people to come together?

(Radical, David Platt. p. 26-27)

Walk in the sunshine.

After many people asking, “Why haven’t you updated your blog lately??”, I decided it was time to give you a little snapshot of what’s been going on in my life.

Last semester ended well.  The last couple weeks were really busy as it seems like they always are, but a few pool days (85 degrees during the first week of December), a day at Disneyland, and time spent with good friends and family made it much better.  It felt so good to finish my first semester of nursing school and jump on a plane back to Portland with no books, no to-do lists, and three weeks of complete freedom for the first time since August.  Thinking about going to school for even another week made my brain hurt.

Christmas break was amazing.  I was expecting a much quieter break this year, maybe even a few days to just relax and not do much of anything.  Well, it didn’t really turn out that way.  One thing led to the next, and I think I managed to have just one “free” day all of break.  I know, I know, typical Taryn schedule as most of you would say J  And it’s true.  That’s how I like it.  Breakfast/lunch/coffee/dinner dates, a spontaneous visit from a good friend, spending time with family and friends over the holidays, Phil Wickham concert, snowboarding, celebrating the New Year, a few days in Bend, staying up way too late, and many little reunions later, my three weeks flew by.  I felt so loved and so blessed.  As I was not looking forward to returning back to school, the sunshine was calling my name, so I made my way back down here to southern Cal.

I’m officially two weeks into this semester already.  Classes are going really well so far.  I like my new schedule as I have more variety and some professors that really care about us as students.  I also get to see a lot more people and get to be outside more as I walk from class to class instead of staying in the same two buildings all day like I did last semester.  There’s no doubt that this semester will bring new challenges, but I think it will be fun and interesting as well.

Working on sending some blue sky and sunshine up north.  Love you all.

T