Praise Awaits You...

Freude Freude Freude .....

Joy Joy Joy .....

The God we serve is always at His very best. How assuring is that?

It's been a great season, Friends. The last weeks have been incredibly busy and stressful. I've been running around Austria, Croatia, and the Holy of Holies with such a new intensity and intentionality.

You know what shakes a city and changes a nation? The love of the Father.

Something I've mentioned before, I've always been known as the "strong one" and the "warrior." And you know, this is true. I am a warrior and I am a strong woman of faith. However, this warrior's prayers have been reformed. I've found that the best prayers I can offer sound something like, "Abba Father, help!" The "funny" thing is that this simple cry has been the most effective prayer I've offered in the last year.

This weekend has been absolutely fun. I arranged for a group from my House Group to go to Wolfsberg. You've read about Steve Espamer in previous posts. He's been here for the last two months with two other great men (Jason and Alex). They've spent the bulk of their time in Wolfsberg ministering to the young people there. This week, 5 of us went to join in the fun and to see what's happening with our own eyes. We participated in an evangelistic youth meeting consisting of a few worship songs, a short presentation of who our Father is, and then a great time of fellowship. After the service, we went to the bars. Just hanging out in the world and having a great, righteous time together is simply ... good. :-) Saturday morning, Jason was nice enough to let me help him make blueberry pancakes for everyone (something like 15 of us total for breakfast!). We got to see the new apartment downtown (testimony to follow) and then walked up to the castle. Of course, this time with Steve, Jason, and Alex is special for me, as I get the opportunity to embrace a familiar earthly culture. I think, though, somehow even more precious to me is the opportunity for deeper connection and development of relationships with my Austrian brothers and sisters. These trips give us the opportunity to learn more about each other and hang out without the church atmosphere. Yes, the best way to know a man's heart is to pray with him, but we aren't only spiritual beings. So, to my Austrians who will happen to read this, thank you for a wonderful weekend (and a wonderful 8.5 months so far)!
Returning to Graz led us STRAIGHT to lunch. :-) and eventually church. Church has been so fun recently. Worship has been SOARING and breaking into new dimensions (I pray the same is happening for you). A team from Prepare International (a ministry partner based in Texas) came to Graz this weekend to prep for a prayer trip throughout Continental Europe (Czech, Belgium, Croatia). First of all, these guys from Texas have amazing hearts and it is always a blessing to have them here with us. Second of all, I feel like all this exposure to other Americans is like little kisses from the Lord, just for me. It is a real blessing and honor to be a part of such a humble, effective, anointed community. There's NOTHING more encouraging than being EXACTLY where you are supposed to be WHEN you are supposed to be there. Thank you, Heavenly Father, for this plan you have for me.
After church, Sulamit, Bella and I simply weren't ready to separate, yet. Into the city we went! We hung out over drinks at one of the Irish Pubs (Flann O'Brien). Laughing... playing cards. Which, you know how difficult it is to find a card game to play when there are two cultures involved? Man... I tell you. I've come a long way climbing over cultural boundaries, but this card game search reminded me, yet again, how fun and creative God is. We ended up playing a riveting game of BS.
Today, I'm in the office on BLAST Hill. There's a prayer seminar downstairs with this team from Texas. I'm organizing some things here and enjoying the joyful atmosphere.
I am preparing my heart for the conference in Sarajevo. I am getting PUMPED... PSYCHED... STOKED... for this conference. My heart is enamored with the Balkans. I feel like the slightest bump would pop the love I have for this region and the women there. I would like to use this opportunity to make another plea for your prayer support in this time. I don't just mean DURING the conference, but these last 2 weeks leading up to the conference and the weeks to follow.
I can't believe how quickly time is flying. My birthday is just 3 weeks away, Cle comes in 4 weeks... wow wow wow!





The following is a copy of a testimony about the apartment in Wolfsberg I just wrote about.
Saturday morning we got a call from the owner of the Christian book store. He said we (Meinrad and me) had to rush there right away, that there was a woman that had a flat for rent, going on the market Monday, but she was just getting ready to leave for Vienna. She heard about what God was doing and wanted to talk to us first.

She has been praying for 5 years for God to do something for the youth of the city. Her flat is strategically located, right in the center of town, right where all the kids hang out, and she was heart broken over what she was seeing. She said she wanted to "give" the flat to somebody who was working with the youth but for 5 years never found anyone. She was holding out in hopes of being able to give the place to a youth outreach. She had no success in finding anything so was putting the place on the market on Monday. But she forgot her cell phone in Vienna so went to the Christian book store to use the phone, as she was friends with the owner for many years. She told him what she was about to do.

But he just "happened" to be at our meeting on Friday night, where Jason and I were leading worship, and where he saw one of the non church kids get instantly healed of pulled ligaments in her ankle. So he told her about us and she wanted to meet us before she left town in a few hours. We had a nice visit and told her what God was doing and what was on our hearts. 20 minutes later, right there on the spot, she "gave" us the flat, completely rent free, starting with a 3 year agreement! All we have to do is pay utilities and it is all ours. She gave us the key that day!

So now we have a home base to live or house interns, and to have kids over for meetings, right in the center of where all the youth hang out!

Redeeming Grace and Nurturing Glory

Two ingredients the Lord has been stirring into my heart.  

I feel like a pancake batter being turned into crepes (yes, just for you Jason!).  It's like my batter has the lumps in it that any good pancake chef knows are necessary for the PERFECT pancake consistency.  The lumps needn't be stirred out and they must also not be too large.  They are precisely what is required for a pancake breakfast.  Crepes, on the other hand (or in the other griddle), require the batter is completely beaten until smooth.  The ingredients between the basic pancake and the basic crepe are the same, though the latter calls for more sugar.  This mixing process; rather, the beating process, is what makes the difference in texture.  

The Lord is beating some of these lumps out of me.  Some of the lumps are little and some bigger, but He is carefully stirring through, making sure He touches each lump.  Some of the lumps were things that were "okay" or "good" for the last years.  These were things that were even necessary for what the Lord had for me in the past.  As I said, they were good things.  Now, though, He needs something slightly different.  He still wants me, Cree, with the taste He intended.  He still wants Cree for the ideas He has purposed.  It's just time for a new look and a new feel.  It is time for New Life.  Just as Sulamit has been praying, there will also be a new sweetness in me as a crepe.  

So how does breakfast/dessert relate to "redeeming grace and nurturing glory"?  The redeeming grace seems to speak for itself.  The grace of the Lord is so great that He desires to transform me from one shape to the next.  He makes me new.  Isn't it amazing how the mercies and love of the Father are new each day?  How each day we are being transformed into something new?  Yeah yeah yeah...anyway... about the nurturing glory.  As the Lord takes us into new things and changes us, the question is often, "okay, God, so how do I do this?  How do I be this new thing?"  His response is simple- a willing heart and time in His presence.  His glory is such that none can stand.  Being face to face with the god of the universe; hand in hand with the savior to all mankind, is what nurtures and fosters this change.  Yes, I (we) need to make the deliberate decision to allow this change and to step into this change, but we do that best by being the midst of the Lord.  Yeah yeah, "read my Bible and pray."  NO!  Make your way into the throne room, sit on the King's lap and let Him bathe you with His glory.  Never been to the throne room?  Don't even know what that means?  Ask me for more detail in a more personal setting (ahem, email).  Or, simply ask the Holy Spirit what this means and tell Him that though you don't understand where or what this is, you are willing to learn.  I can assure you He will begin to take you there.  And when He does, buckle your seat belt, it is going to be an indescribably adventurous ride.  

The summation::

I am doing alright.  I am aching, hurting, learning and growing.  But, I am okay.  I am situated... excuse me, situating myself into a new seat of trust.  I've lost it all and I am losing more.  It's a great time!