I usually post on blogger but this was important. so i thought i'd keep all the xangalanders informed.

The last two days in the Gallery Church have been filled with a lot of emotions--but i guess that happens when a lot of people and a huge God are involved. I'll start at Sunday. This will be a long post. That morning i was on the load in team again--setting up and tearing down for the services. We had finished early and i was sitting in the auditorium and listening to the band practice. It was then that i read this verse:

In Christ Jesus, then, I have reason to be proud of my work for God. For I will not venture to speak of anything except what Christ has accomplished through me to bring the Gentiles to obedience--by word and deed, by the power of signs and wonders, by the power of the Spirit of God--so that from Jerusalem and all the way around to Illyricum I have fulfilled the ministry of the gospel of Christ; and thus I make it my ambition to preach the gospel, not where Christ has already been named, lest I build on someone else's foundation, but as it is written, "Those who have never been told of him will see, and those who have never heard will understand." ~Romans 15:17-21

I was journalling and i wrote that it was why we were here, to help build this new foundation. It was great. Caleb was speaking that morning. almost immediately God began to speak to me. The whole trip i've been asking God to reveal to me if iwas supposed to say here. I got a letter from school the week of my last post saying that i was completely paid for next year at school and then there was campus connect and my role there and w/bcm, i took it as God saying go back and come back here in 2 years and in every chance you get between then. But on sunday, God was telling me that it wasn't right; that wasn't his plan, wasn't what he wanted me to do. So the first service was God reguiding my heart and my head to the city. it was hard.

In between services, i called some of my friends and asked them to pray through this with me. They all were so supportive and so great about it. they were encouraging and excited about the calling.

Before the night service Caleb and I talked for a second. I didn't tell him anything, just that we should talk. Before the service we have prayer and Caleb asked the group if anyone had any life-changing events happen since that morning prayer time. The service that night was the same, only better maybe. There is this line that Caleb said both times "Trust and obedience come before understanding. If you trust and obey then God will reveal why and what's he's doing."

Caleb told his story of his calling to the city. He had his dream job doing theatre and college ministry in Flordia, he and his wife were expecting. then as he prepared to leave is dad died, they lost the baby, and his current boss kept trying to keep him there with offer after offer...but he knew he had to go, even though he had reasons to stay.

Trust and obedience before understanding...we live the opposite. It was during the response time again that God challeged me. I was sitting there shaking my head no and telling God that He had the wrong person, i didnt want to do it, i couldn't do it, i didnt want to leave everything to come here...this song was playing in the back All of my heart, all of my love, all of my life is yours. I was telling God no, i couldn't commit to give him my life. He just goes, you already did that.

God was silent until that point and then, as i stopped to take a breath, he took over the conversation. He was saying: you wanted me to guide you, you wanted me to lead your life, you wanted to do ministry, you wanted to have an impact on people's lives for me, you wanted to follow me and serve me and this is how; this is where i want you. trust me, i've got it.

I took a breath and looked to my right and Caleb and stan sat there. I went and sat between them and cried. Caleb and i talked about it and i told him almost everything about school and knowing that i've been called to stay here. He just encouraged me that if it was God's will then all would work out, to trust and obey, to keep seeking it out. they prayed over me. it was good.

i've been thinking about it and honestly, i know that God has been leading me here over the last two years of my life. everything goes together--changing my major, transplant for two years, last summer with jteam and gallery and random things that pointed me here--it all works to sending me here.

Yesterday, maria and i went to lunch. (Caleb joined us but he was really late.) I told her everything that had been happening and about my calling here. and we talked about it a lot. She was great. then like 30 minutes late, caleb came in. we didn't talk about it anymore. i have this theory that he knew anyway. he knew 2 weeks ago when i did load in and we got milkshakes, he knew it after the 1st service, he knew in the hallway when i got him mints, he knew when we were praying, he knew when i sat down beside him to pray...i dont know how he knew, but i think that he did.

It's exciting. i don't know what it means yet or exactly what it looks like but i know that it's real and it's something that i can't ignore. keep me in your prayers. also pray for my teammates. They have been struggling a lot and feeling discouraged. that's the latest update.

So NYC is approaching. I have to have a blog for that so i'm going to use another blog. You can read about the summer there. I might sometimes post things on here to but prolly not.

http://missdanielle09.blogspot.com/

pray. I'll keep you posted. (no pun intended)

LoveAlways, Danielle

So last night, I got an awesome roommate!! and i'm living in pratt now...go figure. I'm SOO excited though!! it's going to be awesome!!!

Classes are finished. (praise God) and now it's finals, packing, checkouts, raising LOTS of NYC money in a small amount of time, bcm retreat, graduation and a long drive home. Wow...all that in a week. I'm already tired reading it.

HP and the Order of the Pheonix is going to be amazing!! I'm excited. Ashley applied--yay her. i need to finshing putting away my room and find somewhere to keep it. My bridesmaid dress came in so i've got to get it a little later today. :) yay. That's my life now. And I've got to go do sign ups for Jell-o wars now!

Love Always, Danielle

Oh, Micki (my new roomie) and I are going to read a book together for the summer. Any suggestions on a random book thats good but is not classic or a Jesus book? Let me know....

This stuff with Virginia Tech is really devestating. I hate when things like this happen and I'm definately praying for everyone there. Our school is supporting everyone and praying.

Now i will say this, hoping that you know that I care. BUT I really don't like that people who never heard of VT or never cared anything about them before or never even knew anything about that school until all this happened, have replaced facebook pictures with the VT logo, wear their colors, or put them as their myspace/aim.

I know you may be thinking: why would that bother you? Easy....you only care b/c this tragedy happened! Yeh, it's great that you are supporting them through all this but a week ago, you never thought twice about them--if you even knew they exsisted. I'm glad that you're thinking about them but a few weeks from now, it won't have affected your life at all--except as another memory of what happens when people go over the edge. Is it really necessary that you plaster it all over the place as if you even knew VT before Monday? I would think not.

You can be supportive without being fake. You can be supportive without making people think it's who you really are or that you're really invested. There has to be a balance. Is it really necessary to wear orange and maroon everyday and plaster VT on all of your things?? No. I didn't think so.

This isn't anti-VT support or anything....i just want people to be real. that's all. some random things i've been thinking about.

Lovealways, Danielle

(on a really random note: I have a wonderful birthday yesterday! thanks!)

Life is amazing. I can't believe where I am right now. I look at where I've been in these two years and the thought just overwhelmes me! Our God is so huge. I wanted to go into details about but i don't really have time to do that. I will share something that I read from The Confessions of St. Augustine. It's whoa....

"For who is our Lord but the Lord?

Who is God except our God?

The highest.

The most good.

The most mighty.

The most omnipotent.

The most merciful, yet just.

The most hidden, yet most present.

The most beautiful, yet strongest.

The stationary, yet incomprehensible constant. You cannot chanfe, yet You change everything. You are never nre, yet never old. You make all things new, yet conquer the proud with old age before they know of its approach. You are ever working, yet ever at rest. You are still gathering, yet you lack nothing. You are still supporting, filling and overspreading; still creating, nourishing and maturing; still seeking, although you have all things.

You love without yearning, are jealous without bitterness; share our regret without self-reproach; express anger without losing serenity. When all other fail to do what they proposem Your purpose remains unchanged. You recieve what You found yet had never lost. You are never in need yet rejoice in you gain. You never covet, yet exact excessive payments, so that youy may owe. Yet who has anything that is not already yours? You pay debts when you owe nothing, but in remitting debts You lose nothing.

And what have i now said, my God, my life, my holy joy? What does any mortal say when speaking of you? Yet woe to the one who does not speak, for the silence is the most eloquent voice. O, that I might rest in you..."

There's more. but i dont have time. Just find it and read it.

LoveAlways, Danielle