"Jesus has overcome..and the grave is overwhelmed."

After a week that's been riddled with tricks from our enemy, a few really cool things come to mind this evening...

The first...something that happen a couple of weeks ago, that I've still just been relishing in. :) I was with our pastor's family for dinner and their little girl was acting out a bit. Pastor David said "It's too bad that you have to act like that when we have company." She replied, "Daddy, there's no company here." He said, "Yeah, because Miss Shelly is family, right?" And she yelled, "right!"

I melted. I obviously am still carrying that with me. Things like that get me through the days when it's hard to be all the way out here.

The second thing happened today.

So, I've been mentoring one of the youth here in leading a youth worship team. I had a meeting with him today and we were discussing our last rehearsal. I didn't sing with them this past week like I usually do because we have a limited amount of available mics. We were reflecting upon the past week and I asked him how that worked and if he wanted me to sing with them anymore. He asked me if was asking if he wanted me to sing with them or needed me too. I said it was all up to him. His response was, "I don't think we need you anymore." I was so proud and happy. I finally felt like I was fulfilling my role as an equipper (yeah..don't tell Derek and Marilyn..haha). Today, I was finally able to grasp what the whole equipping thing is all about. They're doing ministry...I get to walk along side them, but it's not me doing it for them. How awesome!

This week has been kinda overwhelming, but there have been some rewarding moments. The weather is starting to cool off again (hopefully it stays that way this time).

I got to talk to Katy, Andy, Tim Walsy, and more last night for several hours. An obscene amount of time, actually...but it was TOTALLY worth it. Especially amidst a semi stressful/busy week, it's good to be encouraged and grounded by my lovely friends.

I got to go hiking with Josiah on Monday. It was awesome being outside and just climbing, hiking around, and exploring this park. It's been awhile since I've have a purely social interaction, so it was awesome. While we hiking, we came upon this huge wall of rock. It was massive and both just stopped and looked at it. I thought of Psalm 18. It's been a passage that I've been reading repeatedly lately. One of my favorite names of God is Rock. Ask me why sometime..kind of a cool story. But I was so impacted by that.

I also get to sing this beautiful song this week by Chris Tomlin called I Will Rise. It's really been speaking to my heart. My favorite line of it is "the grave is overwhelmed." Isn't that amazing?!? Like, those words just resound. Jesus overwhelms the grave...and not just His, ours too.

In the meantime, I have TONS of things to do. God is faithful. His Word is life and prayer is the blanket of peace that He continues to wrap me in.