Strangely Normal...

Hey Friends!
I'm excited to get this blog up and running again. I'm getting ready to talk to my parents on skype (after the Lions hopefully pull off a win against the Bucs). Just wanted to let everyone know I've arrived safely in Uppsala, Sweden. Friday was a blur of jet-lag, Saturday was culture night in the town square, and then today was church, seeing old friends and running some errands. Even watched Tangled with my roommate Jenny. I'll go into more detail about all of these things mentioned on another day. I did want to share how strangely normal it feels to be back in a town I haven't lived in for over 3 years. I feel in many ways it's like home here. Memories flooding back, speaking some Swedish (pretty poorly), and connecting with students again. Thankful for this place and these people I get to journey with. 

On Friday afternoon I headed downtown to meet with a friend, Elin. This is what I saw on my walk. Great reminder God is faithful to all He promises. 

Do you mind if I come in?

There is a place in Remedy I've deemed the "upper room". This is a coveted room that any "regular" at the coffee shop wants to get. It's two comfy chairs and a small table with 2 chairs. While there's room for 4, rarely is there more than one person. The room is at the top of the stairs all by itself with a door. It's assumed if you're up there you want complete silence for whatever you're doing (especially when the door is shut).

It's been awhile but tonight... I got it! I was up there, typing away, being super productive. Now in the hour I had the room to myself I had several people walk up the stairs, open the door, see I was in there, know the "unwritten" rule of the room, and leave. Then a lady came up, did the first 3 steps then asked, "Do you mind if I come in?" Of course I said yes. She promised to be quiet saying she had lots to do.

God had other plans and over 2 hours later we were hugging and making plans to hang out.

I can't begin to describe what we covered. I believe it started with the piano player downstairs and bounced around between art, relationships, family, slam poetry, churches, starting our own coffeeshop, painting, and our jobs. Mixed into all of that was Christ. We sat there, mutually encouraging one another, and recognizing this was a divine appointment. The last thing we wanted to do was open our computers back up.

I am fully convinced that room is annointed as a place where people feel at ease, a place where the presence of God resides. I have never been in that room and not talked about Christ with the stranger turned friend that joins me. I'm thankful God orchestrates these encounters. There was plenty of mundane "to-do" items on my list but nothing took the life filling moment of our conversation. Thanks Lord.

Oh btw - her name was Tina :)

This is one of the photos we talked about. I took it this summer. She wants to put on an art show and asked if I could display my photos. What?! So cool.

This Is Love....

Seriously Lindsey?!
Did you really think you'd have time EVERYDAY to post a blog. I was WAY to ambitious.
So reality check. We're gonna go with something REALISTIC Lindsey. Same concept but once a
week. Hopefully on Tuesday mornings (my morning off). So here's to Tuesdays and hoping I can
stick with this!

Being on staff has it's perks. One of the biggest being that once a week we are REQUIRED to spend a day with the Lord. WHAT?!?! Yeah I am blessed. Thought I'd share a little of my day and what God was sweet to show me. Really just the biggest thing. It usually happens at Remedy coffee (see previous post of my love for this place). So I journaled 10 pages today. I won't bore you with everything in it. But in short here's what I learned....

What I learned (or relearned) was simple.... it was the Gospel.
I was overwhelmed by my sinfulness and even moreso overwhelmed by God's love for me.... in spite of me.
It was hard at moments as the Spirit revealed the grossness of my heart, but refreshing to see with new eyes the Lord's fierce pursuit and desire for me, His Child.

Below is a song that "just happened" (I totally don't believe that) to play on my ipod in the midst of journaling. It's by Tifah called "This is Love". It's hauntingly beautiful.... and it's love.

Morning comes and I have spent

Every decent thing I am
Pockets empty
Now it’s You and me

I’ve been foolish, rash, unruly
Taking pride in all I have
Taken from you
Now it’s You and me


This is Love
When I give my heart to everyone but You


This is Love
When I have turned my back away from You


This is Love
When I have left you for the selfish things I do


This is Love
That you would still love me, in spite of me


Seconds pass and I think back
To every time that I have said
I am sorry
Now it’s You and me


So can I say these words again
Even with the things I’ve done
I broke your heart
Now it’s You and me


Morning comes and I think back
To every time that I’ve said
I am sorry

Photo a Day, Story a Day

Well hello 2010!
You snuck up on me! It's crazy to think I haven't updated this in 2 1/2 months! I think it has a direct connection between being off campus raising support (ie having more free time) and being back on campus (ie no free time). But I see good in this blog. I love keeping people updated on my life and moreover what God's up to and how I see Him working... He's sweet to do let me in on it, and occasional chooses to use me in small ways for His Glory.

So with that I am setting out with a goal in mind. To blog EVERYDAY for a year.
I know you my readers (reader?) saw the title and can put 2 and 2 together.
I'm going to put a photo I've taken up everyday with a story behind it.

Let's see how long this lasts!

I think with the nasty, gray, windy, rainy day outside it was only natural that I pick this.

I took this photo out in California this summer. I was out there helping staff a summer project with Crusade (in Santa Cruz). We had a day off and headed down the 17-mile drive. It was the most beautiful coastline I've seen in the US. We took tons of pics, it was the perfect day with friends. We ended up in Carmel, CA in a cute fairy tale town. We had delicious italian for dinner and headed down to the beach for one of the

 most beautiful sunsets I've ever seen.

God is so sweet to love on us through moments like these.

Fall Staff Conference

I'm writing from Campus Crusade's Fall Staff Conference in Black Mountain, NC. This weekend provides a chance for all staff in the Mid-South Region (NC, SC, TN, KY, WV) to come together for a weekend of fellowship and refreshment.

For me, it's been a weekend of realization of how the Lord has changed how I gain my energy over the past few years. When I was in college @ App State I LOVED being around people. The more the merrier I said! I was the emcee of our roughly 500+ movement of Campus Crusade students there. I loved organizing parties... two of my favs were the "Were you cool in middle school?" and our vogue party (which included a photoshoot area). I considered the event a success if there were more people there than the previous party. I was the perfect example of a social butterfly. Spending no more than 3-5 minutes with each person at the party.

Then I went to Sweden on STINT for 2 years with Crusade. There I was introduced to my introverted self. Better yet my deeper self. In Sweden, the ministry was completely relational. Building friendships with students and spending literally 2-4 hours with them a day... in a coffee shop... talking about deep things. I had never done that... I retaliated at first... usually in the form of bathroom breaks and coffee refills to take a break. Slowly, I found myself loving these conversations.

As I've been in the US for over a year now, I've found it true here as well. I would so much rather spend a long amount of time with one person in great real conversation than surface conversation with many folks. I gain my energy through individuals not groups. Now we don't have to talk theology the whole time... there's lots of laughter... I especially love the people in my life I can just sit in a room with in silence and just enjoy their company.

Through this process I've leared two things:
*I enjoy really knowing people... one on one or small groups... cooking dinner, grabbing coffee... that's where my refreshment comes from.
*I used to be afraid to go deep with folks... to be known by them.... yeah vulnerability is a scary thing (still is at times).... but so worth it. That's why I did the social butterfly thing for so long.... talk a few minutes... let people think everything's great... but no investment.

It's fun to step back at this conference and realize how I've changed in just a few years.

I love self discovery :)