God's faithfulness in my relationships

One of my biggest prayers for myself the past couple of months has been that I would be able to continue building into relationships throughout this crazy season at work (mid August - early November). God has been abundantly faithful in providing me with the motivation and energy to do this, and I want to share some of the ways He's been answering those prayers.

• A Tuesday evening off from band practice so we could meet Eliot and Jessie for dinner at Chick-Fil-A. We hadn't gotten together since MAY! Our long-term passions are quite aligned, and it's always fun to share and dream together.
• Dinner with Lindsey in Beacon Hill. A sweet time of sharing our joys and struggles with careers and marriage and many other things.
• A four hour hike with Ryan & Janine last Saturday. Great conversation, much needed exercise, and an awesome place to hike nearby - Blue Hills Reservation. Greg & I are thrilled to get to lead a community group this fall with this special couple.
• Bible study with Katie and Connie. What a blessing to share life so deeply with two amazing women!
• Women's September book study at church - We're discussing Noel Piper's book on women of extraordinary faith. God has opened a little door for me to lead the ladies in worship through a song or two now and then, and I've LOVED being able to serve in that way again. It's also been fun to get to know a few newer women at the church.
• Dinner with Nick & Deborah, our newlywed friends. They're so adorable; we love that we live so close to them!
• Connecting a little more and a little more deeply with some gals serving in the church band.
• Breakfast with Dan & Ann. Good times catching up, getting excited about community groups beginning and serving the church band together this week.
• And then of course with work being so crazy, it means more time with co-workers. I've been having fun getting to know some colleagues more these past two weeks. And I love the lunch breaks and Dunkin Donuts runs that keep us going!

I feel overwhelmingly thankful for how God has sustained me through the past month and enabled me to live a thriving life instead of barely surviving. It's only through Him.

Where I have been the last few weeks...

O LORD, You have searched me and known me!  You know when I sit down and when I rise up; You discern my thoughts from afar.  You search out my path and my lying down and are acquainted with all my ways.  Even before a word is on my tongue, behold, O LORD, You know it altogether.

You hem me in, behind and before, and lay Your hand upon me.  Such knowledge is too wonderful for me; it is high; I cannot attain it.  Where shall I go from Your Spirit?  Or where shall I Flee from Your presence?  If I ascend to heaven, You are there!  If I make my bed in Sheol, You are there!  If I take the wings of the morning and dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea, even there Your hand shall lead me, and Your right hand shall hold me.  If I say, "Surely the darkness shall cover me, and the light about me be night," even the darkness is not dark to You, the night is bright as the day, for darkness is as light with You.

For You formed my inward parts; You knitted me together in my mother's womb.  I praise You, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made.  Wonderful are Your works; my soul knows it very well.  My frame was not hidden from You, when I was being made in secret, intricately woven in the depths of the earth.  Your eyes saw my unformed substance; in Your book were written, every one of them, the days that were formed for me, when as yet there were none of them.

How precious to me are Your thoughts, O God!  How vast is the sum of them!  If I would count them, they are more than the sand.  I awake, and I am still with You...

Oh that You would slay the wicked, O God!  O men of blood, depart from me!  They speak against You with malicious intent; Your enemies take Your Name in vain!  Do I not hate those who hate You, O LORD?  And do I not loathe those who rise up against You?  I hate them with complete hatred; I count them my enemies.

Search me, O God, and know my heart!  Try me and know my thoughts!  And see if there be any grievous way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting!

From Psalm 139 and deep within my heart...