Q & A about my time in Ottawa!

First off.  I have decided I blog at THE most random times.Now.  It's been another week and it was the best 'last' week in Ottawa I could ask for.  Nothing spectacular, but just a 'normal' work week with my 'normal' events.  Which is EXACTLY what I wanted.  To cherish each moment.

I have been getting asked some pretty kind of summer M sterotypical deep questions-which makes my time here feel all the more family like; that people actually care to know how I liked it; what was hard; what I'll miss; what I learned.  It's been really great having that becasue then it MAKES me ponder the answers because I was going to wait to ponder those til I got on the plane however praise to the Lord for my C!C family.  So I decided it would be best to answer those questions in-depth here once and for all; and so when asked I can short answer and say 'look at my blog' :)

Top 3 things I'll miss most:
-living with the Byers would be first.  I have genuinely loved each and every moment at this household and it has shaped a lot of what I yearn for my future house to epitomize.  With that these kiddos that if you haven't realized have stolen my heart.  I gotta get it back from them-soon!  They will always hold the key to a special place in my heart for sure.  It's not my house, but my home here.
-my C!C 'family feel' would be second for sure.  I love my church family back at home and it IS my family-but nothing is ever going to compare to my two months here and how 'in' I felt.  I forgot often that I am the newbie and haven't been 'in' for years but a mere weeks.  But I was immediently welcomed with open arms; thank you C!C family.  I loved how loving and genuine each person is and it's a unique group of people that I feel has 'church' about as close as it will get.
-intentional bus time would fall number three for sure.  My bus time has radically changed my prayer life.  It was THE best talks with the Lord and I hope to stay this intimate with Him in the fall.

What was the hardest thing:
I struggle with this question because I honestly have LOVED every moment here.  No one really got on my nerves (unless moments of screaming kids), and one 'thing' wasn't awful.  So my struggling moments were not 'things' that were tough or people.  The hardest thing was definitely spiritual warfare.  Satan definitely showed His face often in my path; trying to lie to me and let me not grow.    Satan was showing me to believe that I was dong a bad job, or that I didn't need to try and address sin in my life, or that my time here wasn't worth-while because of HOW many 'little' things I did.  However the Lord supernaturally worked His power and interceeded on my behalf.


What have I learned:
I have maybe not learned so much but as I have said before experienced so many things here.  I have touched on most of them in previous blogs but it feels nice to condense it all.
-I learned practically what a Sabbath looks like in my day of liife.  And how to put it to use when I go back to school.  To just BE with Him and rest; cease from things that aren't NEEDED for the day.
-I learned what a godly household looks like.  What it looks like to parent in a Christ-honoring way.  I do believe my parents' did a great job; just not a Christian one.  So it was great to LIVE in a house that serves Him with their whole heart.
-I saw what it looks like to be genuine and transparent about everyday life.  I have felt the most 'me' moments because everything here isn't necessary practical, but Jesus-which surpasses everything eh.
-I learned and experienced just how VITAL prayer is in fighting sin in life.  It's been so cool to see the Lord literally take my sinful flesh desiring heart, and change it to a Christ-yearning heart.  I feel my 'head to heart' transplant has occured in parts of my heart that have needed to and it's been awesome to watch it happen before my eyes. With that I have experienced true freedom in Christ and it is THE best feeling to know despite how much we screw up; our citizenship isn't in that but is in Heaven and in Him and we are free from the chains of sin; He has set us free-PRAISE!
-Finally I experienced what it means to genuinely work for the Lord and not man.  Fact being I am not a 'normal' summer M; I did so many little tasks its obscene.  However the Lord knew they all needed to be done and I had the time to do it.  So it was awesome getting to serve in not a 'huge' capacity, but with a huge heart ONLY from Him.


Am I ready to come home:
I also struggle with this because I am SO flip-floppy.  My flesh literally wants 100% to stay in Ottawa with my family and friends here and wants 100% to go back to my other family and friends back in MS.  So you can pray that August 6 the Lord will take my heart from Ottawa and move it back to MS.  I know after this summer He can do whatever He wants with my heart, so I have faith that He will complete this one also.  Though I still have my few last days; everything is closing and it's perfect.  I do feel my time here is coming to a close and that is something the Lord knows I need to feel in order to let my heart go back to MS.


Do I plan to come back to C!C:
I genuinely hope that the Lord has it planned for me to come back and 'relive' a lot of the vital things I have learned and grasped from my time here.  I have invested and been invested in too deeply to never come back.  However the Lord knows that one day we will all reunite at His feet and maybe that is His plan.  So my answer is 'hopefully'.  I would love to come back next summer for a few weeks to see everyone again.  However it depends how He wants me to spend my money and what would be best for His kingdom; a 2 week trip to Canada to chill and see my 'other' family, or a 2 week mission trip.  So we shall see-it's nice to know He already knows the answer-so no worries!


How to pray for me now:
-pray that my last 2 days here is of Him and that I still desire to serve despite my 'list' is complete.
-pray that AUGUST 6 the Lord take my heart of Ottawa and put it back in MS.
-pray that my transition back into my 'normal' life will be simple and not too overwhelming.
-pray that the CM here at C!C will transition back easily into not having me be the intern


So.  There is my trip in one long blog form.  If you made it to the end then congratulations!  We survived the summer together!  I have had the best summer of my 20 years on Earth and I hope to re-unite with these beautiful servants of Him.  However we all are on the same page here that one day we all will reunite at the feet of Jesus in Heaven!  PRAISE THE LORD!!


Next blog I will be back at MC back in my first life transitioning back into the MC bubble!