World wide web

The day has come! At 9:30 this morning my household finally received the internet! I'm so aware of how dependent I've become on this useful tool that connects you so quickly and effortlessly to the world's resources. I'm thankful to have it to stay connected to friends and family, and to do wedding planning, but I'm also thankful that I learned to go without it. Thanks for your patience with me in my blog break. I plan on keeping up with it better from now on.
So, for a brief and somewhat sporadic post, I'll give you an update on what life looks like here.

A few weeks ago a group of us went to Duluth and I saw Lake Superior for the first time. It really does look like the ocean.

My housemates rescued 4 baby raccoons off of some railroad tracks and took them to an animal rehabilitation center. They were so cute!

Jake did lots of painting at an art festival in Minneapolis. 

I have a pet rat named Cranford and he's so sweet and cute.

Engagement

Hello everyone. We get internet at our house in 2 days which will mean more frequent updates and a WAY less stressed out Lindy.

In the mean time, you should check out my friend Emily's photography blog. She took some pictures of Jake and I and posted a few of them. I like them a lot and she's so talented.

http://ecoemilyphoto.blogspot.com/2011/07/jake-lindy-engaged.html

Simple and Pure Devotion

Jake and I are getting married October first, and the date is quickly approaching. Some people think we are crazy for having such a short engagement, but for me it seemed crazy to spend so much time planning for ONE day. I'd much rather have to-do lists and deadlines and projects on my mind for 3 months rather than 6 months. It's been a challenge to allow my soul to be at rest during this somewhat fast paced, chaotic, and new season. There were tears cried and many moments of doubt, anxiety and frustration. I came to a breaking point about a week ago where I realized that I cannot go on living like this for the rest of the summer. Jake and I prayed together and he prayed some of Hebrews 12 over me. The next day as I was spending time in the secret place with God, I felt like I should write down some verses from that passage of scripture and carry them around with me while at work and so such. As I meditated on the verses about how God disciplines His children so much revelation came. It talks about how we should endure hardship as discipline, and seeing as the past few weeks have been full of hard times, I figured that God had some discipline in mind. It talks about how discipline isn't pleasant, but it produces a harvest of righteousness and peace for those who are trained by it. I prayed and asked God how I can be trained by this time and how I can receive this kind of harvest. Instantly I thought of the verses about sowing and reaping, and how God cannot be mocked, you always reap what you sow. I became sobered by the reality that how I sow during this season of engagement will affect my harvest in marriage. I don't want to sow doubt, anxiety, fear, apathy, and a distraction with worthless things into the soil of my heart, and that was the path that I was headed down. Then God showed me how engagement is a picture of our time here on earth. We are betrothed to the King of Kings and we wait for the day when we are one with Him. This life is a time of preparation and expectant waiting and similarly, we sow in this life to reap a reward on the day we stand before God. This new vision and purpose for these next 3 months was exactly what I needed. I want to plant down deep in my heart worship, and prayer, and thanksgiving, and faith, and love during this season of engagement so that my marriage will be blessed with righteousness and peace! I want to store up treasures in Heaven during this season, living my life for the age to come, not for any gain I can receive in this life. The last section of scripture I meditated on that day was Hebrews 12:12-13 - Therefore, strengthen your feeble arms and weak knees. “Make level paths for your feet," so that the lame may not be disabled, but rather healed. I took that as a challenge to be purposeful and intentional during this trying time. If I want to walk the narrow road I need to violently make a way. Not violence that you can see, but a steady determination to not give in to the spirit of the age, or to busyness and distraction. I have to live a deliberate life in how I spend my time, in what I think about and even how I plan a wedding. I want God to receive all the glory in this celebration and I'm resolved to make it happen.

My journey west

When Jake's two week visit was over we packed up my Toyota Rav 4 to the brim with all of my belongings and headed west. We made a pit stop in Chicago to visit Jake's sister Val and attend the Chicago Blues Festival, then meandered over to Bloomington Minnesota where I currently reside. I live in a quaint cottage house with dear friends Ryan and Noelle Peters. It takes me three minutes to drive to my work, and about ten minutes to drive to the House of Prayer at my college campus. Also, the cheapest gas station in town is less than a mile down the road. I work at an assisted living facility and really love it. The residents are very kind and understanding and love to ask me questions about wedding planning. It's been so much fun to reunite with old friends and establish a community out here.

 Sign from a surprise engagement party

 Church picnic

 Being Jake's "assistant" when he painted a parade float

Jake visit

Jake arrived in Pennsylvania just in time for my graduation at the Gateway House of Prayer. We had so much fun in the two weeks that he was there. We went on a day trip to Philadelphia, spent the weekend with my whole family at our cabin in the mountains, went to Maryland for a beach trip, and spent a lot of time with my various groups of friends.
My birthday was May 31st and we spent the day on the wonderful sandy beaches of Ocean City, Maryland. As we sat under our colorful umbrella, listening to the crashing waves and the squawking seagulls, and eating our picnic lunch, Jake asked me to marry him through a creative poem/rap and many thoughtful birthday presents. Of course I said yes, and thus began a new season of life for the both of us. It was a magical moment and I'm still in awe of God's faithfulness and goodness in bringing me the man of my dreams.

 Pics from Philly

 Beach pics

I just said yes in this picture

Cabin pics

Chicago pics

 deep dish pizza!!! so good!

Gateway

On May 27th I finished my internship and celebrated with a fun graduation ceremony. My internship was awesome. I could go on and on about the things that I learned and what it taught me. I left feeling more equipped to run the race marked out for me with perseverance. I left with a hunger for prayer and a daily dosage of the presence of God. I left even more disillusioned and dissatisfied with the spirit of the age and the vain ambitions that mattered so much before. During my 5 month internship I gained an incredible community of like minded friends from all different walks of life. It was exactly where I needed to be and it was the most fruitful and sweet season with God that I have yet to experience. I am forever changed.

 my worship set that I helped with

such a diverse group of people came to Gateway

The whole gang