Standing in the Night

We're coming to the end of our fourth week on staff here at Gateway, and our third week of being on the night schedule. Jake had a heart for the night watch after having some really powerful times with God in the wee hours of the night in a small house of prayer in Vienna, Austria. But it wasn't just because of a passion for the night that we decided to totally revamp our lifestyle and schedule. For Gateway to continue to be open 24-7, there obviously needs to be someone there at night. Most of the night watches are hard to keep staffed and usually it's only by one volunteer who is completely alone the entire time. Basically, we saw that these sleepy hours were where the greatest need was and felt ready, able and willing to fill it. So, what does that look like? We typically show up to the h.o.p. around 11 p.m. and have an hour "briefing" time with our team (aka, Jake, me and our friend Brittany and maybe one or two other zealous volunteers) which usually includes talking about the prayer topics for the evening and having a short devotional time. Then at midnight we head upstairs to the prayer room and get started. We break up the night into hour long intervals, 12-1 being a devo time, 1-2 intercession, 2-3 another devo time, and 3-4 another intercession set. We've been trying to hit the same topics every week, including sex trafficking, the persecuted church, college campuses, government, Israel, youth, and regional transformation etc. Sometimes we have live music, like in the above picture, but most of the time it looks like this:

 Mostly empty room with plenty of yawns :) It's been tough, but so good. My body has had a harder time transitioning and most nights I feel like the majority of my energy and focus is put toward staying awake and very little is left over to really press in to God. I know that in my weakness the Lord is still pleased with my feeble attempts, and my semi-coherent prayers are still heard by Him, but I am looking forward to a breakthrough in my energy level. I get excited thinking about what we're doing. We're getting to stand in the gap, and partner with God in prayer during the darkest hours of the night. It's a privilege to be able to join the prayer movement worldwide as our full-time job for this season. Before we started on staff, my heart would come alive when I heard a song written by Elizabeth Bedford who does the night watch down at the International House of Prayer in Kansas City.

Please don't ask me to stay as you draw away to pray

Count me worthy to see what you see

Why is your heart heavy and why do you tarry?

Acquaint me with what's going on on the inside

The lyrics are in reference to Jesus in the garden of Gethsemane in the middle of His darkest night as He stood alone. The thought of being able to stand with Him now, watching and praying and staying alert, is so exciting to me. I don't want to miss out on it!

Psalm 134

Behold, bless the Lord,

All you servants of the Lord,

Who by night stand in the house of the Lord!

Lift up your hands in the sanctuary,

and bless the Lord.

The Lord who made heaven and earth 

Bless you from Zion!

((If you want to listen to the night watch CD released by IHOP Kansas City, you can check it out here: http://ihopkcmusic.bandcamp.com/album/simple-devotion-worship-from-the-ihopkc-nightwatch))

It's time to Celebrate!

October celebration is in full swing ladies and gents. I never get to put as much time, effort, and energy into it as I'd like, but it's still fun to do those extra things that make this month memorable. We've had plenty of apple cider, did some fall decorating, and even went on a drive on some back roads for the sole purpose of gazing at wonderfully colored leaves. We're lovin' this time of year.

I spruced up the apartment with this white pumpkin, some mums, some cute gourds and corn, and even some burlap on our end table.

 We went on a hike with this sweet little one and had a drum jam at the look out point.

 Our hike ended at a fun petting zoo and "pretzel hut" where we ate pumpkin pie flavored ice cream!

Some friends of ours hosted a "pumpkin party" where everyone brought a food that had pumpkin in it. My personal fav was Jadah's savory dish of pumpkin stuffed shells! Yum!

And just the other day we spent the evening carving pumpkins with my nephews. Jake's had so much character.

The fun doesn't stop there either! Tomorrow Jake and I plan on having a picnic and then going on a hike to enjoy all the marvelous leaves. Sunday some friends of mine are throwing a baby shower for me and I happen to know that there will be some tasty fall treats. And, next weekend, we'll head on up to my family's cabin for the weekend. How lovely! This is shaping up to be a pretty good October indeed!

One Year

 First things first, has anyone noticed my cool new header!?! That, my friends, was made by the very talented Emily Stephenson. She is so creative, has an incredible eye, and her art really moves me. She was our photographer for our wedding, our teammate in Austria, and now the one who gave my blog a much needed face-lift. A big thank you goes to her, and a shout out that you all should check out her photography here at her blog.

Ok, now on to my update :) Back in the beginning of October, Jake and I celebrated our one year anniversary. Can you believe it?! We've been married a whole year. We did an overnight trip to Baltimore and had so much fun reminiscing about that beautiful day a year ago. We read through our guest books, looked at all our wedding pictures, and fondly remembered what a blast we had on our honeymoon. Baltimore was an ideal trip location, far enough that it seems special, but close enough that the drive was short and cheap. We went to a sweet museum, ate a fancy meal, meandered around the inner harbor and relaxed. It was lovely.

 Our cozy bed and breakfast room

 Jake eating some delicious mussels

 The harbor

 Quaint cobblestone streets

I think I'm 24 weeks in this bump picture. My belly has really grown over the last two weeks so it looks much different now.

I have all sorts of blog posts in my mind and things I need to update on, but I just don't seem to make enough time for it. Hopefully soon I can update on how life on the night watch is going, my attempts to celebrate October, and maybe more baby bump pictures. 

Seasons

 I love the sun. I guess most people do, but I especially love it. It's amazing how that shaft of sun coming in through our bedroom window can make our bed look way more delightful than it normally does. Sadly, in about 2 weeks when we start the night watch at Gateway, that sun landing so perfectly on our pillows will not be welcomed. I'm trying to soak up mornings while I still have them. Waking up at noon every day is going to be a new (and challenging) venture for me.

 Perks of working at a flower shop. Not all of the flowers get used! This bouquet was made up by my mentor from leftover flowers from a few weddings. Check out the succulents and the billy buttons! My favorites! Jake and I love having these fresh little pops of color and life throughout our apartment. Seriously, if you haven't tried putting flowers in your bathroom you should definitely give it a whirl. It's so refreshing!

 I'm very excited to show pictures like this to our son in a few years. I have so much fun with this guy. Can you believe that a year ago I was in the midst of the most crazy and wonderful week of my life!? We're coming up on one year folks!

 I made my first ever batch of pesto a few weeks ago and we've been enjoying it ever since! Our basil plants were out of control at my parents house so we chopped them all down and made a ton of pesto. Delicious! Oh, and I thought this photo was humorous in how it documents my life lately. Snack of choice: animal crackers. I guess you could say I'm preparing to be a mommy. Current reads: The Womanly Art of Breastfeeding and Sense and Sensibility. This isn't showing the rest of my stash of pregnancy/birth related books. Yikes!

 It's fair season. The time of year when small town Lancaster county folk come alive. Jake thinks it's hilarious and he has come up with plenty of observations on the 'culture' of this area. I think it's marvelous and have warmly welcomed the waves of nostalgia.

I found myself at the beach for one last hoorah with my mother and her lady-friends, and my dear friend Brittany. It was cold, but sunny. I felt really pregnant, but still managed to put on a bathing suit. We rested, read the word together, and had one last taste of seafood straight from the coast. Yum!

Things are changing over here. Fall is upon us and we're about to start a brand new adventure. We start next week at Gateway House of Prayer as missions staff. We're still in the throws of raising support and are at about 55-60% of our monthly budget. We feel like God is telling us to continue to move ahead in faith that he will provide for us. On top of all that I'm starting to feel a lot more pregnant now. My belly has finally "popped" so to speak and it's making getting dressed a bigger ordeal than it ever has been. I wonder if all the fair food has helped the "popping" process along? Anyways, in the midst of this season of new and big changes, I feel like God gave me some vision for how I'm supposed to live.
1 Corinthians 9:24-27 - Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one gets the prize? Run in such a way as to get the prize. Everyone who competes in the games goes into strict training. They do it to get a crown that will not last; but we do it to get a crown that will last forever. Therefore I do not run like a man running aimlessly; I do not fight like a man beating the air. No, I beat my body and make it my slave so that after I have preached to others, I myself will not be disqualified for the prize. 
I've read over this passage or heard people speak on it so many times, but it's never hit me quite like this before. Running as if to win looks completely different than just running. You really can't even compare the two. Think of athletes who make it all the way to the Olympics. When Paul says they go into strict training, that's sort of an understatement. These people are obsessed. They have one focus. One goal. One priority in life. They are totally given over to this mission of winning the gold. No aspect of their lives goes unaffected or untouched. They have no time for laziness and complacency. They see the worth of the prize and are willing to sacrifice daily to attain it. I am so far from this but am trying to realign my paradigms of value and worth around this "one-thing" focus. This could seem condemning or discouraging when you compare yourself to someone or something so radically different from your current state. But take heart! Be encouraged! We're running for an eternal prize and God gives the grace and the endurance to pursue it! He wouldn't have spoken to me about this passage if it was something unattainable or unrealistic for me. In a society where doing less and getting more for it is highly valued, we need this constant reminder. We will stand before Jesus and give an account for our lives. He searches hearts and minds and repays each of us according to our deeds (Rev. 2:23b). So, because I keep my mind fixed on that day, because I live with a constant desire to please my Father, I run the race with perseverance. I run hard. I train my body. I forcefully remove distractions and things that hinder my cause. I live with purpose and avoid all aimlessness and apathy. This must be my highest goal, my magnificent obsession; to love Him with all of my being until the end.

Much Anticipated News

Jake and I are proud to announce that our first little one is going to be a boy! Plenty of dreams were had about this little ones gender (I had 2 dreams, Jake had 1, and another friend had a dream that we were having a boy!) so we weren't too surprised. It was so fascinating to see this perfectly formed little body on the inside of me. He rolled around and kicked and punched and we watched it all. What a glorious thing! We both are left in awe of our heavenly Father who knits each of us together so uniquely and with great care and attention to detail. We're praying that this little one becomes a leader in our family as the first born, and that he has a gentle and humble spirit. We have no idea what to name this little guy and are excited to pray about it and see where the Lord leads us. I'm asking God to give us a name that can be a prophetic declaration over his precious life for all of his days. I'm also secretly hoping he has his daddy's dimples :)

This little T-shirt was worn by Jake and his siblings and was passed down to us. Also, Jake gave me permission to go to the thrift store and purchase one gender specific clothing item after our ultrasound. I couldn't pass up this tiny little tie!

20 weeks

I'm actually 21 weeks now so this is backtracking a bit. I know the picture is a smidge grainy, but hopefully it displays my little bump for you all. I'm a little bigger in this photo because I had just been to a pot luck lunch :) Things are feeling a lot more real lately. I have had a few moments where I'm certain I felt a little kick or punch. My stomach seems to be steadily growing and my clothing is getting less and less comfortable. I'm working on an online baby registry and having to make decisions on what sort of stroller to use, which things to get new and which things to hunt craigslist for, and the always tough choice of whether or not to take the leap of faith into the world of cloth diapers. Yeesh! 

Dear Baby,

We get to find out if you're a lady or a gent tomorrow! It will be our first time seeing you on an ultra sound and I can't wait to see all your little parts. I hope you do some flips for us. Your daddy just recently found out that at this stage you're starting to recognize voices, so he regularly smooshes his face against my tummy and tells you things. We've been staying really active lately so that mommy doesn't get too out of shape and is more ready to bring you into the world in January. We go on lots of walks and runs together, all 3 of us. It's going to be fall soon, and I have a feeling it will be your favorite time of year since your daddy and I love it so much. I'll eat some pumpkin things just for you. We keep praying for you and asking God to help us raise a child that is an overcomer and has a tender heart toward the Lord. We love you already. Keep growing!

Love, your Mama