Kyle+Sushi=happiness.

Rory’s brother Kyle came to Omaha on business last week! This was very exciting for us. Other than Minnesotans who drive through Nebraska on their way to Colorado, we are thinking it will be rare for family and friends to actually make it to Omaha. But Kyle came on business and we were so excited to have family in town!

I remember thinking often while on our fall road trip, how nice it was to spend time with just one family or relatives, or just one relative. It felt like we got to know a lot of family and friends much better in the smaller numbers. I thought this when Kyle was here too. To have uninterrupted conversation was really, really nice (no offense to noisy nieces and nephews and loud family gatherings).

He and Rory shared a brother-laugh that left them both in tears for a good chunk of the time we were at Maggie Moos. Priceless.

Kyle took us out for Sushi and I shall never be the same. I used to be leery, but I am now a believer. And I can’t wait to go back for more.

Worried. Concerned. Nervous.

I'm in the middle of reading Exodus right now and cannot believe how hard it is for Moses and God to convince the Israelites that God will provide for their needs. They are crying for freedom and God displays very obvious signs of his power and authority over all things by turning the Nile into blood, sending frogs and flies and gnats and locusts in disgusting, gross numbers, spreading boils over the skin of the Egyptians and their animals and finally displaying his wrath and anger regarding Pharoah's inability to cooperate, the first born of every Egyptian household is killed.

It paints a picture of a very serious God on a very serious mission to free his people.

The Israelites saw all of this with their own eyes. Wonders that no one could concoct on their own. But immediately upon their release the Israelites are complaining, wondering why they ever left the slavery and bondage they had in Egypt. They assume they will die between the Red Sea the Egyptians, but here comes God again, sending up a pillar of fire to slow the Egyptians and parting the entire red sea. And even after walking between two walls of water, they still can't comprehend God's provision. Because next they are hungry, and are worried they might starve. Again, always faithful, God sends quail and then consistently provides manna. But if you give a mouse a cookie...or if you give some Israelites some manna, they're going to want something to drink. So this time, God provides water from a rock and even still WITH ALL OF THESE MIRACLES nothing seems to help them relax into the consistent, never-failing provision of their God.

At camp we have sent out 70 staff contracts for our summer staff. And just in the past week we have had multiple people email and call saying they will not be returning their contract as other things have come up for their summer. And being that we're supposed to run a camp in 8 weeks, I've been left a little worried. Concerned. Nervous. Wondering in what ways I can use my might and my power to get more contracts in. But today, when I wrote in the margin of my bible yet again, "why can't they just trust God?!!" I heard my own God quite clearly, "why can't you just trust me?"

Yowch. Humbleness.

"Not by might and not by power, but by my spirit," says the Lord. Zechariah 4:6

Sara and Troy's trip to Rwanda

Rory's brother Troy, and his wife Sara have begun an incredible partnership with one village in Rwanda. While on tour, they asked their audiences if they would be willing to sponsor a child through Food for the Hungry in the village of Gisanga. The vision is that Sara and Troy will return to this village annually bringing men and women from their American team of sponsors to build lasting relationships with this community in Africa.

Sara is just beginning to blog about their experiences, and it is worth adding to your favorites.

Be sure to keep tabs on this kingdom story as it continues to unfold.

http://www.saragrovesofficial.blogspot.com/

Keep an eye out for new author, Mara.

My niece has been working very hard at preschool this year. Her mom and dad just sent me this story as proof:

Eaten by a Leopard Seal!

by Mara

Once upon a time two leopard seals ate up a penguin. Then the giraffe and the leopard seals got thrown in the dungeon forever. Then the giraffe couldn’t come out. Then the leopard seals couldn’t come out forever. Then the leopard seals couldn’t ever have his birthday. They didn’t get any presents in the dungeon. Their underwear was stuck to the dungeon. They never could get their underwear off!

Then the little penguin got them out of jail. Then their ears were stuck to the jail forever. They never wanted their mommy and daddy. Then the rat chewed up the leopard seals. They wanted to go in the jail forever. The End.

Taste and see that the Lord is GOOD!

I feel like for a season now I knew I was hungry for God's word, but didn't really do anything about it. I knew the banquet was right over there in that good book, but rarely cracked it. But on my birthday I decided to commit to some reguarlity and started reading three chapters a day in order to read the Bible in a year. Then I started a Beth Moore study. Then I began writing a family devotional book that all the campers will go home with this summer and now I'm writing the summer Bible study curriculum. (These last two writing projects meant that for weeks now I've had three different Bible's wide open on my desk all day long.) And suddenly it feels like I walked over to that banquet, budged in line, grabbed an oversized turkey leg in one hand, a scoop of mashed potatoes in the other and am devouring this spread of food while diving on top of the dessert buffet.

Or something like that.

But the beauty is that God is showing me things about himself that make me love him more and more. You may all insert a, "genius becca, that's how he works" here. But WOW! And now I listen to praise music and think, "yeah! People should write praise music about you!" or "That's me! I want to know you! I want to hear your voice! I want to know you more!" It is thrilling and so real. I listen to a Hillsong CD to and from work and feel like the Bible is coming to life: come to me all who are weary and I will give you rest... when you're weak I'll be your strength.

Anyway, it's like my own personal revival. And to think I could smell this banquet for so long, and just never took the time to open my Bible and devour this good book.