HE is home.

     Hey everyone! Welcome to blog-post number 2. I promise I won't start every post with what number that particular one happens to be, it just feels right for this one. :)  I am sitting in a coffee shop on 16th Street Mall in downtown Denver right now, and for those of you who know me even a little bit, you know that means I am in my happy place.  My first time downtown was last night when we came ice skating at an outdoor rink on this same street, but a group of us decided to be adventurous and hop the bus and come back down today to hang out.
     Just like any new and foreign experience, this week has been quite overwhelming, in a word.  It has been full of encounters of all kinds: with people, with snow, and with God. Yes, it snowed here Wednesday! It snowed all day long and I was like a kid in a candy store! It was gorgeous! (See pic below). It is not gross, dirty, frozen snow- but soft, light, and airy.  It feels like walking on a cloud.  The only unfortunate part about this is that my snowballs did not form well. :(
     This particular week was full of introductions, orientations, and of course, bonding.  I have met so many new people my head is spinning.  It seems like every day I have about 10 different mood changes.  An example of a few I have felt: scared, excited, nervous, intimidated, inspired, confused, peaceful.  I feel sorry for my roommates :) Then again, they are feeling the exact same, which is comforting.  It is a strange thing when nothing around me is constant- from my mood to my location. And God understands.  I recently read the stories of the beginning of Joseph's life (Genesis 37-41).  Joseph was moved all over the place in a short amount of time: from his father's household, to Potiphar's household, to prison, and then to Pharaoh's palace.  He was dearly loved by his father, mocked by his brothers, tempted  by Potiphar's wife, in charge in prison, and esteemed in Pharaoh's palace.  He too experienced new things on a regular basis.  And God was with Him the whole way.  Genesis 39:2 says, "The LORD was with Joseph and he prospered." This may be a simplistic revelation, and one that we have all heard before, but God emphasized to me this week that He is home.  He is constant.  He never changes.  When I am in Texas, He is the same as when I am in Florida and when I am in Denver.  There is so much comfort in this for me!
     I know that the next 5 months and 2 weeks is not going to be easy.  I have a feeling I am going to be pushed to my limits.  I am very nervous, but very ready.  God is already revealing to me that I am still an infant in my faith.  That is humbling. :) There is so much room for growth in ways that I don't even know about.  I'll make sure to keep y'all posted about how that's going. :)
     On a lighter note: the dry Denver air has cleared my skin up, I have learned an awesome new pool game similar to round-robin (Menkes? Roths?), there is coffee/hot chocolate/tea/apple cider available here 24/7, I found a restaurant called Heidi's, I am currently watching crazy bronco fans run up and down the street, and I only fell once while ice skating yesterday! And the adventure has only begun!
     Peace.

                                          Snow covering the YWAM campus