Being light ain't that easy

When I first started at the "bowling lounge" I was excited to be a light in a dark
world - God was so faithful to provide chances to share my faith with
my co-workers. I've noticed that in the last few months I have become
more "comfortable" in my surroundings and many times have fallen into
the trap of "inter office gossip" - it happens. I've also become
more discontent with being there - little things start bugging me, and
my attitude towards it has been anything but light. It is so easy to
fall into the trap of dimming our lights - because lets be honest,
being a light in the midst of darkness it tough - its a daily
challenge, and sometimes its a lot of work. I realize on a daily
basis that God has put me there for a reason. No one in their right
mind would want to be almost 30 and handing out bowling shoes. This
is my mission field, and I have to remind myself of that. Would I
rather be back working at OCC, of course - its comfortable and
rewarding. But many times the mission field isn't so easy - the
rewards aren't immediate and our faith is challenged on a daily basis
- and I realized I have to remind myself of this fact or else I will
be bogged down with the negative things. So hopefully today I can
walk in with a positive attitude and allow the Lord to be my strength
when I want to strangle the servers or my bosses (heehee - admit it,
we've all had those feelings!)

Have a great rest of your day!!!
xoxox
B

Don't be afraid of the darkness in the earth today. REMEMBER THIS:
Light shines best in darkness.
Thursday 8/7/2008

Let your light so shine before men that they may see your moral
excellence and your praiseworthy, noble, and good deeds and recognize
and honor and praise and glorify your Father Who is in heaven.

IT IS THE NATURE of light to shine, and the darker the night the
brighter the light. There is darkness in the world, and moral darkness
is the blackest of all. Perhaps where you live today has become a very
dark place, a fearful place. Perhaps the light has been so obscured
you are tempted to think there is no light at all, only darkness.

The purpose of God is that you shine and illuminate the world in
which you live. There is no light and no life but that of Jesus Christ
( John 1:4).What He is in Himself is what He gives to you. Never be
content until your life is fully illumined by Christ. By the beauty of
holiness reflected in your life the darkness will be driven back. If
you live your Christianity, the light in your life will flood the
darkness with the true glory of God.

Why I love Portland

I've decided to take a moment and reflect on the many reasons why I have completely fallen in love with Portland. I have now been a resident of Oregon for 8 months (wow!!!). For 8 whole months, I have tried to take in and adjust to all the differences from my life in CA to life as a Oregonian. Of course having someone pump gas for me, three dollar movie theatres that searve beer and tator tots and NO SALES TAX have made the transition an easy one- there are some specific things that have made leaving the constant sunshine of Cali not as difficult... By far, one of the biggest is the true beauty which surrounds me on a daily basis.

I'm blessed to have a job where I can take a precious lil pumpkin on walks (when weather permits) through a neighborhood that is completely in bloom.




And of course there is my aunt and uncles own back yard that is overflowing with beautiful flowers....


There is such a appreciation for the summer months - braving the cold (granted 65 degrees is freezing to me) so for the first time in my life, i've been able to experience what's known as "seasons" to anyone outside of California. Moving up here in January, I came right at the chilly time, which resulted in my first experiences with snow (and golf ball sized hail!!!)








I must say, I have really enjoyed experiencing the transformation that Portland makes each and every month - and am thankful and blessed to call this home!