Hey Troops!!!
I so very much want to thank you all for the spectacular "Harvest" celebration we had last night at Momentum! The costumes were Above The Top for sure - it was great to see the creativity of our group - you guys definitely didn't disappoint!!! - we had the animal kingdom well represented by Alisa as a chipmunk (hope I'm right on that!), Amber as a black cat, and Pam as a cute bunny! Amber's friend, Mary, was the blondest referee this side of the Jordon River! Mike let loose his inner "Bozo" with his crazy "fire of God" red clown wig! Hilltown also set the sanctuary ablaze with her red wig, matching top and those special fiery red picnic tablecloth pants! (I want a pair in my stocking this Christmas) For those of you who missed it...even her toenails were painted red! Way to accessorize Hilltop! Evan, you definitely deserved top honors (Evan"s costume won 1st place) for your representation of small machinery - a leaf blower! Way to go! I told so many people at work today about your costume and got a lot of laughs. The pucks flew as our Tina "played" the runway while sporting her "WILD" layered look! Erich's costume was simply "arresting" and Lindsey's dressing as Adam was...well... was it Lindsey?... was it Adam?... we just couldn't tell! Tony rocked as a rock star and I (Tari) colored my world as a yellow color crayon. Danneth totally wigged out, Lis was a perfectly precious pretty pink princess, and the angelic presence surrounding us were dressed as angels! Mucho thanks to everone who brought snacks! Our party was a great success thanks to all of you. God was glorified last night and takes so much pleasure in the fellowship we enjoyed!
It's great to be back in Minnesota again after seeing Adam in Tennessee and visiting such cool states as South Carolina and Georgia. Adam is flourishing in the Lord at Lee University. He took my mom and I into an amazingly beautiful church right by campus - North Cleveland Church of God - I believe is the name. He brought us up to the 3rd floor to the prayer chapel, which is open for anyone to come in alone, or in groups for prayer and intercession. How awesome was this space! The colors of this room were bright purple and yellow - I'd never seen this color scheme so boldly used before in a room like this. All of the padded chairs were bright purple and the floor and walls were bright yellow and purple! I took a lot of photos to remember the experience. As my mom and I walked around the room in awe, Adam went behind the pulpit and started preaching! God's message just poured out of him. My mom and I took a seat in the front and listened to him preach for approx. 5 minutes. It was a time I'll never forget for the 3 of us - each representing a different generation. I'm so humbled and excited when I see God working out his pastoral call in Adam's life. I want to see the day when God takes Adam and his generation - your generation - to places beyond where anyone can even imagine - anyone but God, that is!
Why is God moving so powerfully through Adam's life? It's so simple!!! Adam has abandoned his life to God and his purposes! You all know what it's like to be around Adam - the love of Jesus just pours out of him as he talks to people, as he dances before the Lord, as he prayer over those in need. Each one of us needs to reach for what seems to be impossible or unimaginable in God - let the King of King ride on your dreams and visions for your generation and those to come! Embrace Jesus with all your heart - just pour out extravagent love on your Lord and see what he says to you - see what he does through you!!! Abandon yourself to Jesus!!!
My trip to Tennessee, South Carolina, and Georgia came at a good time for me. It served as a reminder of what a HUGE HUGE HUGE God we serve. Sometimes I get caught up in "my little space" of - home, work, church, shopping......repeat...and repeat.....over and over again. Same thing...same small space that is "my world". But when you travel so far outside of your familiar surroundings that you think you're so "safe" in... it's thrilling and can be a little scary all at the same time. God let me know that he was there in everything I did and saw on my trip. I'd look out of my car window at a wooded area on the side of the road in South Carolina and I'd think to myself how cool that God knows the exact number of atoms in each leaf of every tree in that forest and every forest on the planet! He doesn't even have to stop and count - he just knows! God knows all of this, and he is somehow able to care for me and love me and guide me right here in Woodbury! I'm just so in awe of how God knows everything about everything and everyone and even so much more than we can ever imagine with our brains! I came away with a way bigger picture of how huge our God is - being so far from home and basking in so much of God's splendor and beauty as I saw, I was aware of how God wants to be magnified in our eyes - in our lives - in our hearts. If God can make dolphins jump out of the water in the Charleston, SC harbor just as Adam, my mom, and I are looking out of our ferryboat, I know that he's big enough to guide me every day and help me with anything I'm going through!
I want you all to know what a joy it is to fellowship with each and every one of you on Wednesday nights and on Sundays when we see each other. Jesus delights so much in every one of you - it's fun to see how he shines so differently in each of you individually - and yet it's still the same God - isn't that so cool to see! It's like Jesus is the gemstone and we are each a different facet of him. Way cool......I can't wait to blog you guys again.....maybe I'm getting blogger fever!
Blessings upon blessings to all who read this,
Tari
