UPDATED!

"Left my fear by the side of the road.........All I need is you Lord, is you Lord. All I need is you..."

I can't remember all of the words, but I heard this song the other day while I was riding with a friend. For many reasons it came to my mind as I was just thinking about what to write.

The summer went just as fast as it came. August flew by, and here it is September, and before you know it people will be putting out Christmas lights in November ;)

I celebrated my 23rd birthday last month. I missed my parents probably more that day, than any other time I've been here. I don't remember what all I did that day (probably not much since it was a Monday.) but I remember feeling that even though I was away from my parents, my brothers, and the rest of my family I was still surrounded by people who cared about my.

Learning is something that seems to never cease, which is encouraging. Earlier this month I received a card in the mail from a lady who attended the church where I worked. She included a simple magnetic puzzle. It wasn't big, it wasn't expensive, nothing flashy, but I knew it took her time. One thing I have realized is that you'll know how much someone cares by the amount of time they're willing to sacrifice. It's easy to give money when you have it (No, I'm not saying I don't need financial support. I do now more than ever.) but something as simple as a letter with a puzzle in it meant the world to me that day. This lady might have thought it was just simple and that I wouldn't think much of it and it was just a nice gesture. NOT TRUE!

We don't realize how much small things we do mean to other people. How rare it is that people stop to say "hello" and actually care about how you're doing. How unusual it is for a stranger to make eye contact and smile, even when their world could be falling apart. None of us know what is going through everybody else's minds, but most of us have been there ourselves. Feeling alone, needing someone to listen for just a few minutes, completely calm on the outside like we really have it together yet crying out at the top of our lungs on the inside.

As the song says, "all I need is you Lord..." Things have been trying and difficult lately, but "all I need is you Lord." I have seen more blessings in the last three or four weeks than I have the entire time I have been in Houston. What's different? When you're at the bottom, you have nowhere else to look so you actually notice the blessings instead of taking them for granted.

I know this blog is supposed to be about my activities here in Houston, and what God is doing. This is what God is doing. Breaking me in areas I don't like, growing me in ways I never thought I would see, and opening my eyes to the world that is hurting all around me. All longing for this Jesus who gives life, who IS life.


*Please continue to pray and give faithfully as you have, and pass the info along to anyone else who might be interested.

**Coming soon-monthly newsletter that will either be emailed, or mailed depending on your preference, that will keep you informed and hopefully involved in the ministry here.**