SBF Teaching.

Just a quick little blog-note asking for prayer for my hubby! He is teaching in the School of Biblical Foundations (here at YWAM Denver) tomorrow. He will be teaching on the non-pauline Epistles, and on the history, authors, and more. 

He is super excited! I'm not sure if any of you have ever heard him speak, but He is very gifted in this area! Please pray for him tomorrow when you think of this!

(Thursday August 28 -5:30 pm edit: HE DID GREAT!! He says "It went smoothly, and was very chill.")

A Brutal Tuesday Morning.

This morning I awoke rather chipper and ready to go!
As Ted and I headed off to work, I looked up at the mountains in front me and gasped at what I read.

In huge bold, white letters I read: Destroy Unborn Children
My stomach dropped, it literally made me feel sick.

I'm still unsure why this was written, maybe as a joke (one which I find not at all funnny), or maybe it was written because this week is the Democratic Convention. I don't know.

I just want to off of the beautiful mountain.
I realize again with a great sadness, this is the fallen world in which we live.

(It's interesting...the desk I'm at has a beautiful photo of Tiffany Johnson, and it hit me that right now, instead of being all angry at the world, she would be praying for the people who did this....and that is what I need to do. That is what stops these types of things from going down.)

The Perfect Day.

Today was our first day alone in almost 3 months.

We ate icecream & talked about our future life together.

Golly what a p e r f e c t day!

Culture.

 Day Market. Dried fish & humidity equals beautiful smells. 
            Thai tea. (love!)
   Red Light District.
             Intricate temples.

            Tuk Tuk from here to there.

Never say "maybe later" because they come back later.

         Finding joy in simple things.
                 Delicious "mystery meats"
                                            Babies who do not wear diapers.
                                                   A monk drinking pepsi.

His Love Compels.

My time alone with Him was beyond anything my simple words could muster up. Seriously amazing. I mean I have my bouts of sadness (missing Ted and the team), but for the most part I cried only a little. (I am a crier...just in case you didn't already know).

Funny thing is, God has really been speaking to me a lot about emotions. I tend to base a lot of how I am feeling in the moment. Which means I'm the conditional type of lover, fighter, crier, motivator... if this makes sense. 

He has been teaching me what it means to be faithful unconditionally. What it means to worship unconditionally. And most importantly, and by far the most complicated of the three: what it means to love unconditionally.  And Whoa. I stink at them all.

One of the biggest eye opening things for me this past outreach to Thailand, was my love (or lack thereof) for God, my husband, my team, and the people around me. Talk about conditional. 

I looked back and read my journal entries from day one of outreach all the way down to the final week .( i finished a whole journal, which now i need to put everything learnt to practice and to heart) I immediately recognized a prayer I had written, asking my dear Heavenly Father for a heart like his, one which loves everyone. I wanted to love as Christ.

Sure enough, He heard me and probably very gladly began to walk me through this love of His. His real, unconditional, compassionate, empathetic love. 

The word that comes to mind now: DESPITE. Why? Because the love of Christ loves despite how he feels. Despite how much you would rather let someone have it. Despite how unfair it may seem. Despite how the person loves you back. D E S P I T E. 

I learned the hard way. A few hard blows. A few bruised knees. 

I slowly began to learn how to love despite how I feel.

It was an incredible (is an incredible) lesson to learn. 

I'm still learning. To love as Christ. To see people as He sees them.

It's an eye opening thing indeed.

love has a new depth. a new meaning.

 Jami Joann

note: i actually didn't spend the entire time alone. some of it was with friends and some with family. the week was peaceful and just what i needed.

Alone Time.

Well, it's my first official day off. 

Ted and his buddies woke me around 5 am, as they rounded their camping gear up and flew out the door with excitement. Their about to reach the ultimate camping experience...

A week long survival camp. I didn't go because it's a guy trip...well and I'll admit right now to me, it sounds insane. It's raining (i love the rain, just not sleeping wet) and we just got back from outreach. 

Pray for him! I'm thinking with my wifey-thoughts and worry here and there. Pray for safety.

Well, me... I'm sitting home alone on our orange pokadot couch, eating spiral mac & cheese.

If you know me, you know I love me alone time. I love peace and quiet. I refuel alone. 

This time is been hard! I miss the Ted chilling on the couch next to me as I read or write. And I miss our 11 team members. We've been with them 24/7 the past few months, so this time alone time is sad. 

At first when I found out Ted would be gone for our week of vacation, and the team obviously gone, and then my two friends away, one in the mountains and one in Jordan. I was so extremely sad. Not to mention a broke down car and an expired drivers license. (Pray the rain stops here and their so I can walk and bike places!)

I like finding a reason and purpose for the way things work out, and I realized this week if 

p e r f e c t for me. I mean it's sad right now, in this moment...but I really feel like this week will be a great time for me and my first love.

GOD! I'm actually very excited!! I plan on spending a lot of this week with Him!!

I figure I can either pout and be pitiful all week, or make the most of this time.

Please pray I choose making the most of it!

Love you!

Jami Joann

A Glimpse.