2012

Hi friends! (Picture me waving and smiling to you) 


New Years.... I'm going to jump right in.


What is that for you!? Is God giving you a new vision? Calling you to scary and trying places? Opening your eyes to the broken and alone? Pushing you to try new things, meet new people, or step out in new ways with your faith? I certainly hope so.


Here is what is on my heart for you, whoever is reading this- it's for a reason (whether I know you or not- God will use it I pray): He is so big and so good and He wants to bring you into a new joy that you've yet to know. Take the leap with Him. Trust your convictions. Speak in love without hesitation, it is always worth it. Say sorry. Just LOVE those you encounter in whatever way that works. Okay!?


As for me, I am eager for what God is going to do this year. In a new place. A new job. A new marriage. A new everything. Is that scary? Yes. Is it sometimes overwhelming? Of course. Do I often second guess our decision? You bet. However, is God distant from me (us) in this time? Never. He is so present. He is the comforter. 


A good friend reminded me (after some discussion and reflection since moving) about the Israelites in the desert and how many times they looked back in longing to Egypt, to their imprisonment, and asked God to take them back there. BACK TO ALL THAT ENSLAVED THEM! The fear of what was ahead. The fear of truly trusting the God who answered their cry to get them out of Egypt. It is scary to trust God when our human eyes and hearts cannot see what lies ahead. It is scary to rely on God to make the way, thinking we can do it better. It is easier to look back, and see comfort and ease, and seek that. But to do so, is to miss the promise land. To do so, is to turn from the call God put on my heart that brought me (us) out to Washington in the first place. To do so is to ignore the dreams he gave me of those I am teaching right now. And so I will run. I will run towards what it is he has for us. I will run ahead and focus my eyes on the Lord and His perfect plan- replacing distractions with prayer and study. That is my goal. Here are a few ways I intend on doing so this next year, month, day, hour, minute, second!


1. Unplug. Over and over God has been calling me to unplug myself from so many distractions. Convicting me to turn my eyes from status updates and photos of other peoples lives, and focus on living the life He wants for me. He convicts us all in different things, and you may think that is not very big, but for me, it is a time sucker that takes away from better things.  My friend Alex wrote a great post on what he calls, "technology idolatry" and it hit me. God had been convicting me for a while that I need to put His word and worship before signing in to facebook, twitter, blogs, or tv. Read his blog if you'd like to read what he wrote HERE. I don't know for how long, and I am not going to set numbers to any of these goals, I trust God will let me know when I am ready.


2. Serve. Jesus came and he served. He served all those he encountered. He served the loved, the poor, the lonely, the hated, the broken, the mean spirited, the doubters, and his own family. My goal is to live this year (and all those after) as a reflection of Him, the servant. Working to live a life less focused on my immediate "needs" and as an outpour of God's love to the needs of others. How? It can be anything really. What does it seem like the lady crying on the bus stop needs? A hug? A hot meal? A kind smile? I'm not sure- I probably won't know- but I know that if I earnestly seek God and ask Jesus to give me the spirit to teach me daily, He will provide just that.  "He must become greater; I must become less." - John 3:30  I posted last week from a blog Kisses for Katie, on living life "bent low" and that is my second goal. If only you could see the tears I cried as I read her post and felt the joy that God wants to bless me with as I seek Him, and serve Him, bent low. Loving others and showing them the love of Jesus. There is something overwhelming about reading the words from a stranger across the world, that reflect the longings of your heart. Incredible. Go HERE to read that post again- but please don't stop there, read on and on. 


3. To love myself. Now this may sound conflicting with the previous goal. But I do not think I can do the other without loving who God made me to be. Trusting that the lessons, failures, successes, and convictions He has given me are exactly what He wants them to be. Learning to trust that I am His precious, cherished one. That means believing that I am strong enough to do what He has called me to. That means shutting out self doubt, image, materialism and adding courage that is founded in the word. It means creating a healthy lifestyle to take care of the temple that is my body. It means putting aside things that will ultimately leave me empty; gadgets,   jewels, junk, that will rust and fade in time and focusing on the truth that brings freedom and joy. By loving who God has made me to be (and made you to be) I will be a better agent of the gospel. As I learn to better love myself, I can certainly hope that God will show me how to better love my neighbor. Which is what He wants from me above all else. To love those all around me, my neighbor, as myself.  


I don't like to starve, so God help me find ways to feed the hungry.
I don't like to be cold, so God help me find ways to bring warmth.
I don't like to feel alone, so God help me bring comfort.
I don't like to hurt, so God help me bring your healing.
I don't like to be without you, so God help me bring your word to those in longing.


I can feel it in my core that God is going to use me (as He has before) in new ways. Calling me to obedience. Calling me to feed off His word daily. Calling me to be satisfied in Him. Pray for me along the way. Pray fro Kevin too- as he puts up with my new ideas and wild journey. Pray that we have a shared vision of this new life we are building up here. Thank you for sharing in this journey with me.  As for the little resolutions I have... here are a few....


1. Run a half marathon/be in good overall health
2. Begin and finish applications for grad school
3. volunteer somewhere with teen mothers
4. volunteer with a church high school group
5. minimize my closet to 100 items or less (yes this is a real problem for me)
6. If I can't pronounce it, don't eat it
7. craft once a month
8. say thank you to every soldier in uniform that I encounter (that may sound corny, but I never have the courage to do so because I almost cry every time and I get too embarrassed) 
9. Cut out soda completely ( I am a caffeine free diet coke freak)
10. Read God's word and have a quiet time daily. 


Thank you for reading. This was a long one- but don't think it will be the last long one anytime soon! God is on the move. 

Some Photos For Ya

Here are some other photos that I couldn't load a while back from our trip and some from our new home! Enjoy!

Long Awaited!

Hi friends-

Well the biggest reason I have not posted photos and updates from our journey to the NW is because my computer won't let my phone sync to it anymore and  I can't upload my photos from my phone OR my photos from my camera- because our other cord is packed away. Wah wahhhh. So that being said, there are a few that I was able to sync by some Christmas miracle and I have a few photos for you.

Our going away party was a blast. Thank you to everyone who came and showered us with love as we begin this new journey! It is scary but so exciting for us. The drive went really well! Zoey slept literally the entire way until we were two blocks from the house and she was fed up and screaming/howling/wimpering/barking- but I still see that as a victory!

Our first day we drove up to Sacramento or "The Sac" as Kevin likes to call it, and stayed with our friends Phil & Kathy. We had a great time, went out for appetizers at the Diners, Dives, and Drive through guys restaurant- yummmmm. Then we went on a journey to Phil's favorite taco truck (which involved a 30 minute drive into God knows where- it looked like we were in Indiana! Sorry Em..) But let me tell you- THOSE TACOS WERE FLIPPIN AMAZING! YUMMMMMMMMMMMMM . Thanks PHil! And ended it with DELISH donuts! Thanks Kathy for sharing the Mint N Chip!

Kevin on his first leg of the trip ( I took the mornings he took second shift)

Lookin' snazzzzzay in his new jacket and glasses

Guy Fierrere's (or however the heck you spell it) restaurant!

Posing for my parents by his picture!

Em- Doesn't that look like Indiana!? Come on!

The famous truck. We will meet again.

Phil and Kev determining their orders- note the seriousness.

Into Oregon now! 

What Kevin does when I ask him to take pictures. 

Getting closer to Portland.

Mema's swanky condo!

Her sweet view!

Funky breakfast place we went to! Double Yum!

For Tiffany.

Everyone told us to go to Voodoo Donuts b/c they are the best..

They were right!

The famed "Bacon Maple Donut" 

Kevin chanted that mantra the entire way while we walked there...

Leaving Portland!

We spent the next day driving for 11 hours up to Portland, Oregon to stay the night with my Grandma in her hip condo in the city. That place is dog central. We took Zoey on a walk and business owners asked if we would bring her into the shop and they proceeded to get on their hands and knees and kiss/play with Zoey and then give her treats. It was really strange. I'm talking grown men and women in business clothes. Maybe it is just weird to me. *Fun fact about Washington- apparently it is now known as the biggest dog state in the US where more people have dogs than they have children- thus the giant section of dog clothes everywhere we go. 

The third and final day of our voyage was.... really crappy/horrible/draining eventful. While leaving Portland, I noticed the car tow was swaying pretty strongly and dangerously next to cars. We pulled over and found out the lever to the car tow and lodged its way up and under the bottom of our bummer (into this plastic area) and there was no way to get it out. We tried to drive slow, but the front tire being unlocked was  making the car shift all over the place and we were not willing to keep driving. So we pulled over, tried 10 things that didn't work, and figured the only thing we could do is pull the call off the tow and drive our two cars separately. We did so, and bent the underneath of our bumper pretty bad, but better than the car flying swinging into someones car and creating a huge crash. So that short 3 hour drive turned into a 6 hour drive because we also hit ridiculous traffic coming into WA because a truck slid onto grass. Let me repeat- a truck- did not crash, and no other cars were involved, and no car was even damaged, but a truck, slid onto grass on the side of the road, and needed to get pulled off - SO LITERALLY JUST A TRUCK SITTING ON THE SIDE OF THE ROAD- and people decided that was 5 mph worthy on the freeway.... LAWD people in WA can't drive! 

(Kevin has the entering Washington Photos)

Here is the sign that we drove up to!

Did I tell you they have chickens who we get fresh eggs from..?

With names... and personalities!? They hold them! haha!

We had our first and last Dick's burger. It is NOTHING compared to INNOUT.

Pretty views!

We had our first Five Guys. Pretty good man.

Our drive home everyday. 

Snapshot of my classroom!

View of the Bergin Home!

Sunshine for all your WA haterrrrrs out there- it happens!

:-)

In my sweet fleece my sister got me- I fit right in now! 

So anywho! We made it to WA with overall great ease and we are having a great time. We live in a beautiful neighborhood with my aunt/uncle/cousins and we are loving all the trees. I mean seriously, its like the woods. It is beautiful. All the leaves are starting to change color, the fog sits nice and low on the mountains behind us, and on clear days (which we have had quite a few) it is even better. My job at the preschool is great! The facility is beautiful and the kids are so sweet and fun. Kevin has a few prospects, but we are still figuring out a few things. We have driven around lots of neighborhoods and cities looking for where we would potentially live. So please pray for these specific things:

-Kevin would find a great full time job that he enjoys and can learn from
-I find a fun restaurant to work at that is closer to wherever he works
- We find a nice place to rent (we want to rent a small home)
-We are patient
-We find a church in that area

If you read this whole thing- I love you! Thanks! More pictures and posts to come!
xoxoxoxoxo Colleen