The Dublin Kenya Team: Why We Want You To Come!

Today.

I'm reaching out to those of you that  are OPEN to the idea!

Of traveling and serving in Africa.

On a team that Scott & I will be leading to Karogoto, Kenya.

Next April.

Scott & I have trained to serve as trip leaders with an organization I LOVE!

410 Bridge.

Out of Alpharetta, Georgia.

Over 8500 individuals like us have served on trips with 410 Bridge.

In Kenya.

Haiti.

Uganda.

This will be my 7th trip to Kenya.

My 5th trip with 410 Bridge.



This is an exciting time for us!

Scott & I are recruiting our team NOW!

We'd love to talk to you more about the trip in person!




In the meantime,

If you're open to the idea,

Here's a few reasons

We want you to come with us!

25.

It will absolutely ROCK your world!
In the best possible way!
And it's 100% true.
I see it every single trip.
You will never be the same.

24.
Don't be discouraged by the long flight.
It's no big deal.
(There's tons of good movies
on international flights to watch
& help pass the time!)
Plus,

flying that far

will totally empower you

to face greater challenges in your life!
Truth!

23.

Even if you have PLENTY of solid friends, 

there's a wonderful benefit with serving on a team.

You'll make strong friendships
with your teammates.
Some will last the rest of your life.

It's happened to me!

22.

You'll have straight up Africa animal encounters!
And I'm sorry.
But, the zoo?
No!
Not the same.
Not even close.

21.

You'll have a chance
to allow God
to accomplish something IN you,
you could never do on your own.
Raising the money for your trip.
Finding the courage to get on the plane.
All opportunities.
To experience His strength.
His work.
In you.

20.

You'll hear bird sounds
that are SO DIFFERENT
than they are here!

19.
Before you leave.
And once your feet are on the ground.

You'll put yourself in countless opportunities
where you have no choice
but to 

depend on and trust in Jesus.
I can say from personal experience,
those situations are the ones that
changed my life
& have GROWN
my faith!

18.
You.
Yourself.
Will make an impact.

"You don't have to be QUALIFIED to go.
You just have to be AVAILABLE."

We all decide.
"If" 
we'll make ourselves
available.

17.

The children will literally FIGHT
to hold your hand and be close to you!
You'll feel the LOVE
just as you GIVE the love!

16.

Your family will actually have a chance to MISS YOU
while you're away!
Traveling to Kenya gives your family a wonderful opportunity
to appreciate what you do on a day to day basis
and  realize how 

much they LOVE you
while you're away!

15.

You can get 100% unplugged from the world
as you know it.   

That's a healthy thing

to do every now & then!

14. 

You'll have an opportunity to see church
in a totally different way!
You'll see it's not about the size of the church building.
Or having a great band.
It's not about comfortable seating.
Or all the religious activities.
It's just about worshiping Jesus.

13.

You'll come face to face
with authentic lovers of Jesus.
They have very little by our standards,
but their joy
and love for Him
is undeniable.
It shakes you a little bit to see it.
You won't forget it.
And you'll measure yourself
and other believers by it.

12.

You'll have a chance to invest yourself.
And leave a part of yourself behind.
That feels really good.
And,
it always happens.

11.

You'll always think of that part of the world differently -
because you've spent time there,
and met the people,
and made friends there.
It won't be an obscure third world country anymore.
It becomes part of YOUR world.

10. 

You'll see kids excited about education,
even when their classroom looks much

different than ours.

9.

You'll never take turning on a faucet of water again
for granted.
Guaranteed!

8.

You'll get to sleep in a legit tent
across from a watering hole
where elephants, rhinos,
giraffes,
and other animals

come to drink water.
Our last day is spent at Sweetwater Tented Camp
on safari.
For rest and reflection.
Before the trip home.

7.

You'll see some of the most incredible landscapes ever!

6.

You'll feel safe.
That's important.
410 Bridge is experienced and involved with our trip
from the moment we leave until the moment we return.
We'll have constant support on the ground.
We're in the best possible hands.

5.

You'll have jaw dropping moments!
The kind that will always stay with you!

4.

You'll be remembered!
We've always been told that the people of Kenya
count it a great honor
for you to visit with them in their homes (huts.)
 Even to the extent,
 that they will tell their grandchildren about it one day!
I don't know about you,
but there's not many things I do over the course of 10 days
that will be remembered
in another 30 or 40 years!
how about you?

3. 

You'll give your family, your friends, your co-workers &
your neighbors
a chance to experience this journey with you.
Many will support your trip financially.
Some will experience your trip through your eyes.
And your pictures.
Others may be inspired to go themselves.
Lots of them will be influenced
by your courage
and impacted by your willingness to go.

2. 

You'll go expecting to make a difference in THEIR lives,
but you'll return UNDERSTANDING

it was more the other way around!

1.  

It gives you an opportunity to look fear in the face.

Fear of being so far from home.

Fear of how you'll raise the money to go.

Fear of flying.

Fear of feet on the ground in a third world country.

You'll have the opportunity.
To do what you couldn't even imagine yourself doing.

And settle in your heart.

That you're ready to live your life.

Take a risk.

And step out in complete faith.

It's not enough that I've seen these things myself.

It's not enough that I have been.

I want YOU to come too.

If God is speaking to you about this trip.

I want to encourage you,

Don't miss this opportunity.

Message us for more information or register at:

  https://410bridge.pledgeraiser.org/showEvent/2017k-04a-kenya-april-open

 

Dublin Women's Getaway

The three of us forged a new family tradition last weekend.

We took off together for a long weekend.

Just us.

I have no idea why we waited so long.



Destination - Pawley's Island & Huntington Beach.



We arrived Friday afternoon.

Taking that familiar path to the coast.

Yummy meals.

Conversations across the table.

Browsing local bookstores.

Beach sitting in the morning.

And again at sunset.

A drive across the causeway at Huntington Beach.

Walking across the boardwalk and the marsh at the end of the day.

We've visited here dozens of time.

Since they were twelve and five.



Chick flicks at night at the hotel.

My Best Friends Wedding.

Divine Secrets of the Ya-ya Sisterhood.

Some of our favorites.

Breakfast at Eggs Up Grill.

Strong cups of coffee.

Lunch at the Salt Creek Cafe.



Strolling through Brookgreen Gardens.

Shopping.

Resting.

Peaceful.

Content.





These girls of mine.

They grew up right before my eyes.

Taylor finishes Lander in just a few weeks.

Kate's son is coming in August.

It's flown by - our life together.


They did complain that I drove too slow on the way down.

But, I wasn't in a hurry.

It was our first Dublin women's getaway.

I was in no rush.

What Cancer Gave Me

My cancer was a surprise.

To my doctors.

And certainly to me.

Very rare.....slow growing.

Endometrial Stromal Sarcoma.

Caught early.

Surgically removed.

A 50/50 chance.

It will come back.

Even many years down the road.

That's how it behaves.




Early on.

It was always on my mind.

Understandable, I guess.

I read everything I could lay my hands on.

But after a while.

Thankfully.

I didn't live under the constant thought of it anymore.

Ten years later.

I remain.

Cancer free.




Today.

Was check up time again.

Cancer survivors know this day well.

Just in case you get a little too comfortable.

Or your life moves too far ahead.

Its back to the hospital.

For CT scan.

Blood work.

Chest x-ray.

The watchful stuff.

My cancer protocol.

Yeah.

This brings it all back.

My annual reality check.

Cancer is front and center again.

Not to be forgotten.

Not to be denied.


And, now?

I wait.

Wait to see if once again.

I get the all clear.




So.

In an effort.

To throw some healthy balance back into the mix.

I'm shifting the focus.

Away from the waiting.

To something more worthwhile.

Something I can share with you.

What cancer has given me.

These last ten years.



Here goes.



1.         I've learned to get on with my life.

There always seemed to be an endless supply of life ahead of me.

Before cancer.

That was a lie, of course.

But when I believed it was true.

I got into the practice of  "putting things off."

For later.

Even things I really wanted to do.

Cancer gave me a definitive way of looking at my time here.

And once I looked at it.

Hard.

I became intentional about doing what was important to me.

And lived my life with a little more urgency.

Cancer helped me to get on with my life.

2.                I developed a healthier relationship with fear.

Fear enjoyed many years of success over me.

Just as it does now with some of you.

I don't think I ever fully understood.

The hindrance.

The obstacle.

That fear had become for me.

Keeping me bound.

Keeping me from living the life I always wanted for myself.

Honestly.

Keeping me from the living the life Jesus wanted for me.

Full.

Abundant.

Adventurous.

Meaningful.

All impossible to enjoy along side of fear.

But.

Cancer.

Redefined fear for me.

And for that.

I'm grateful.

It's not the small stuff I fear anymore.

Public speaking.

Tackling a home renovation project.

Flying to the other side of the world.

Wondering what people might think of me.


Oh, it still tries to whisper over me from time to time.

But, thankfully, not with the same effectiveness.

I grew less fearful because of my cancer.

And anytime you have less fear.

You have more life.

That was a huge realization for me.

3.             Cancer gave me perspective.

Scripture talks about difficulty having a refining influence on our lives.

That was true for me.

Walking through and surviving cancer was empowering for me.

I learned a lot about myself.

Mostly, that I was stronger than I thought.

Because of cancer,

I became more seasoned.  

Tested.  

And tried.

Cancer gave me a healthier perspective.

Of life.

Of myself.

4.               Cancer gave me an opportunity to trust.

To depend on Him.

During those days and weeks and months after my diagnosis.

Especially when my prognosis wasn't fully known.

I sought Him.

And.

I prayed to Him.

With everything in me.

And I found.

Not just peace.

But assurance.

That whatever happened.

I would be okay.

Cancer gave me a unique opportunity to see Him.

And I saw His love.

His faithfulness.

His presence with me.

My trust had a chance to grow.

In a way it never would have grown.

Without cancer.

Finally.



5.              Cancer deepened my love for my husband.

It made me acutely aware of the time we have together.

And however long it is.

I know.

 It will never be enough.

He's my very best friend.

I know that I'm blessed.

That cancer strengthened our friendship.

And reminded us so bluntly.

Not to have any regrets.

So.

While I wait today.

I'm reminded of friends.

Fighting cancer.

Even now.

Many.

On a much more deadly road than mine.

And some.

Just starting out.

It takes time.

And some distance.

To look back and see where we've been.

And figure out what we've learned from cancer.

All of us wrestle it out.

In our own way.

Me?

I stand at today's milestone.

10 years.

With much gratitude.

And thanks.

Not forgetting.

Hopefully.

Not wasting.

(I never want to waste a hard lesson.)

What cancer gave me.

Just One Thing

God has been teaching me a simple truth.

All you have to do is keep your eyes on me.

It sounds too simple.

But.

He still keeps speaking that over me.

Despite the long to-do list I share with him every morning.

All you have to do is keep your eyes on me.

When I worry about the future.

All you have to do is keep your eyes on me.

When I'm struggling to keep balance in my life.

All you have to do is keep your eyes on me.

When I have no idea how it's all going to get done.
When I don't even know where to start.

All you have to do is keep your eyes on me.

A simple truth.

Just one thing.

I have to do.

"But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness,

And all these things will be added to you."    Matthew 6:33.

Dangling Uncertainties

"Trust overcomes fear."

I read that this morning.

In the study notes of my bible.

As I've been reading through the book of Peter.



I believe that's true.

I was reminded of it recently.




I ran across an entry I made in my journal.

Two years ago.

I was in a season of overwhelming responsibility.

Maybe you can relate.

Renovating an old house.

Preparing to move for the first time in over twenty years.

The demands of work.

And life.

It was a tough season.

For me.




But two years ago.

I.........really.

Really.

Needed to know.

That all of the loose ends in my life.

Would work out.

And be okay.

So, I journaled.

I wrote out each loose end.

As if it were completely.

Resolved.

Tied up.

Undangled.

I resolved them all.

On paper.

It was liberating!

One by one.

Every worry.

All the dangling uncertainties.

Each fear.

Every unresolved issue.


I gave each one.

A positive outcome.

A proper conclusion.

One by one.

An interesting thing happened.

As I wrote out my uncertainties on paper.

I felt relief.

A weight lifted.

Just writing them out.

Took away much of my fear.

Much of my burden.



Two years went by.

Before I thumbed through that journal again.

I believe it's healthy to look back.

From time to time.

Especially in my journal.

I have to look back.

To see how far I've come.

Hoping I've come far.



So.

I read through.

All of those worries.

And all of the proper endings I wrote out.

And it was clear.

What concerned me most.

Then.

Had been resolved.

Nearly all of them.

A few were still in the process of being untangled.

But most.

Despite all of the energy I invested.

Worked out pretty well.

Some just as I trusted they would.

Others.

In a different way.

Altogether.

Trust does overcome fear.

That's what I realized looking back.

I could see His faithfulness.

In my circumstances.

Then.

And that gives me hope for my uncertainties today.




He will work it out.

All my loose ends.

All my concerns.

He is faithful.

To take it all.

And tie it up.

All of my dangling uncertainties.

And fears.

Trusting Him.