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Travel Journal: Cuenca, Day 9

     Today's post should be short and sweet. I slept in and stayed home all day. It was good. I needed a "pause" day before this weekend hit. Tomorrow we'll spend the day delivering Christmas goodie bags and presents to kids in Suscal, and then I'm teaching at youth group tomorrow night. (Please pray that I get completely out of the way and there is at least a seed planted in each heart - something that's tucked away to spring up later, or is held tightly now for encouragement.)

Quick photo timeline of my Friday:

I decided how I want to cut my hair when I get home.

I worked on the painting I brought with me.


We watched A Charlie Brown Christmas with the kids.


In between those things there was some lounging around, some message prep, some making PB&J, some more lounging around, and then some homemade spaghetti and garlic bread for dinner. After the kids went to bed (we have to leave the house at 6:30 am tomorrow morning...) we watched another movie. A really cute family movie, so I'm all nostalgic and stuff now. 

     I had a great talk with Jeremy and Tiffany earlier this evening. It's going to be really hard to leave on Thursday. 

     I don't have a lot to say tonight because my head is a swirl of thoughts right now. I haven't thought through enough of them to be able to condense and share yet. I've talked and worried and prayed and written a lot this week about family and future and purpose and calling. I'm just extremely grateful for the confidence that God has me exactly where he wants me. If he wanted me somewhere else, I'd be there instead of here. I do a lot of dreaming about that mysterious season in the future where I'll be operating in my calling and confident in what I'm purposed to do and who I'm placed next to so that I can open up the heart floodgates without restraint. But I'm in this season right now for a good reason. A God reason. And I do believe that my Father is working me toward a fuller manifestation of himself in my life, so this part of the journey is obviously important, or else we would've skipped over it and I'd be "on my way" by now. 

I know that in my lifelong walk with God, there will never be a moment where I feel like I've "made it." I'm glad there will always be room to grow and learn. I am thankful for this time of putting down stronger roots and building up a sturdier foundation. And I am so thankful that my Papa does have something specific in store for me. He knows precisely how to get me there, and he has promised to do so! I'm blinking through tears right now, overwhelmed at the blessing that he calls my beautiful inheritance. I have no idea what that future territory looks like, but I know whose hand I'll be holding through the whole ordeal and I know whose voice will be leading me into deeper peace and more abundant joy. 

"The heart set to do the Father's will need never fear defeat. His promises of guidance may be fully counted upon. Does it make sense to believe that the Shepherd would care less about getting His sheep where He wants them to go than they care about getting there?"
- Elisabeth Elliot
     
"He calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. When he has brought out all of his own, he goes on ahead of them, and his sheep follow him because they know his voice...
I am the good shepherd; I know my sheep and my sheep know me."
- John 10 

"Can a mother forget the baby at her breast and have no compassion on the child she has borne? Though she may forget, I will not forget you! See, I have engraved you on the palms of my hands..."
- Isaiah 49


Buenas noches. Dios te bendiga.
Mucho amor de Cuenca.

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