Advent: stepping out.

Advent. We are in a season of waiting. Each of us waits in different ways; for different things. We have each created our wish lists. Waiting invites us each to step out in faith.

Over these last few weeks as I have wandered my way through the Jesse Tree - this array of intriguing characters that makes up the lineage of Jesus - I have found myself captivated by the theme of faith, people waiting in faith. Waiting for Emmanuel, God with us.

This theme of stepping out in faith has come at me in numerous ways over the last week and a bit in particular. It started with the story of Abram and Sarah in Genesis 12. God calls out to Abram and tells him to go; to go with his wife, to take what he can carry, leave his home and extended family and start walking to the place where God will instruct him. Those are the instructions. Many details are left out. Abram's task was only to go and to be obedient as he followed. Talk about stepping out in faith! Abram obeys and God's promise for him as a result was great. God has this wild plan to make Abram into a great nation with many descendants. This is radical because at this point, Abram and Sarah have no children. They are beyond child-bearing years. No doubt they probably looked like fools by friends and family. Yet, they step out in faith, trusting that God is not only promising to be with them, but that God sees the bigger picture, even when at the moment, nothing seems to make a lot of sense.

Stepping forward a few hundred years, during the height of Jesus' ministry on earth, we are brought to the story of Peter walking on water in Matthew 14:22-36. While sitting in staff meetings last week, I was reminded of this story and again, the call to step out in faith. 

Quick synopsis of the story. A storm is brewing on the water. Jesus is on land and his disciples are in a boat on the lake. While the is storm is raging, Jesus steps out on the water and begins walking toward the boat. Immediately the disciples are afraid, unaware that it is Jesus, who is walking toward them. After walking and talking with Jesus for awhile now, the disciples continue to doubt when Jesus says to them, "Do not be afraid. Take courage, I am here". To test the validity of what is going on here, Peter steps out in boldness and asks to come out on the water too and Jesus invites it. Peter steps out of the boat and onto the waves and finds himself actually walking on water. It doesn't take long before doubt sets in and just as quickly as he stepped out of the boat, he begins to sink beneath the waves until Jesus comes and pulls his head back above water and sets is feet back in the boat. 

I applaud Peter and his courage in wanting to step out of the familiar and enter the water; to practice bold faith. Like Abram, Peter is given little detail about how exactly this whole walking on water is going to work. The physics and math of it all do not come into question. His heart truly desires to be obedient in faith. But, like us, Peter is human and his faith falls short. Doubt sets in and he quickly finds himself sinking, but he even though there is failure that is experienced on Peter's part, there is obedience and faith in just getting out of the boat! There is no safety promised once you leave the boat, but Jesus is not in the boat - he is on the water.

I have been spending time with Jesus at our meeting place on the rocks by the lake often this week. I have come to Jesus weary and exhausted in waiting; longing to just get the tiniest of glimpses into the bigger picture. I didn't get any details. What I got instead was an invitation to step off of the rocks and onto the water. I was given both a promise and a challenge to walk forward in faith to the place that God is leading me. I am not going to be given the step-by-step process, but rather I am being asked to be obedient and trust that God is out on the water wanting to walk with me - the God who goes before me and behind me, the God who claims me as His own. I am promised a wild adventure in faith, journeying with Jesus. 

So, here I am. Right smack dab in the middle of a season of waiting; a season of waiting expectantly for the impossible. And yet, in my waiting, I am keenly aware of a very present Jesus in my midst, Emmanuel, God with me. There is a call on my life to step out in faith. A call to step out in faith when I am not privy to know the exact timing. A call to step out in faith when the details of the where, when, who, what and how cannot be answered. A call to step out in faith when the thought of stepping off of the rocks and placing my feet upon the water seems incredibly scary. A call to step out in faith when I am unable to see the big picture.

So as my heart prepares to welcome the Emmanuel in a few short days, I choose to wait expectantly. I choose to step out in faith and walk on water with the Christ Child. I choose to be obedient.

thankful.

Part of my quiet time with Jesus lately has been returning to a posture of gratitude and thanks. This notion of giving thanks daily - in the big things and in the small things - is something that I am continually being challenged with. It is challenging me to both continue to live out of a place of intentionality and live life on my knees before Jesus. Journeying with gratitude and thanksgiving consistently re-shapes focus and ushers me into a place of humility. 

This morning I have had the rare privilege of time. Time to sit, curled up on my couch, wrapped in the coziness of a blanket and enjoy multiple cups of coffee. This morning has been time I am giving thanks for. Mornings such as this have been few and far between lately. My heart has missed this.

So, as I have had space and time to sit and take this moment in, I am giving thanks. Today I am full of gratitude for incredible job I have as "auntie". In the last 7 days I have had multiple opportunities to soak in time with some of my favourite kiddos. I am thankful and honoured for the role I get to play in these kids' lives. I am blessed by the company of incredible friends and their awesome children. I am thankful for tea parties, first meetings and newborn cuddles, story reading, trick-or-treating with Iron Man and a Unicorn Fairy, giggles, babes who fall asleep in my arms and conversations at church that go like this:

G - "Kara do you want to know something?"

K - "Yup, I sure do G."

G - " I just farted on you"

*insert ridiculous giggling by both G and myself. 

My life is richer because of my role of auntie and the presence of these kids in my life. They continually call me back to a place of authenticity and joy.

Azenhas do Mar

The other day Kiri and I discovered the beautiful coastal town of Azenhas do Mar thanks to the recommendation from Otto and Marjorie. The sights were incredible. I will just let the pictures do the talking.

my favourites.

One of the best parts about being able to spend the past three weeks in Portugal was being able to spend concentrated time with some of my favourite people. Portugal is a beautiful country, but a big part of why this place is so special to me is because of the people I have the privilege of working with and doing life with. I am so thankful for this dynamic group I get to call amazing friends.

Matt & Kiri.

This awesome Australian family have been in Portugal for about 8 years now. Matt is a professor at the Portuguese Bible Institute (PBI). Both Kiri and Matt have a passion for discipleship and walking alongside young adults. They draw those around them closer into the heart of the Father. 

They are an energetic couple with 3 even more energetic children. These 5 have a very special place in my heart. I love them dearly. 

Right from day 1, Kiri and I became instantaneous friends. I often think it seems crazy that we have only known each other for 3 years - it feels like I have known her for so much longer. She is a friend I can laugh with, cry with and just do life with. 

Otto & Marjorie.

Words cannot describe how much these two mean to me. They have been in Portugal for 25 years (as of this coming January) and they live out what it means to be loyal and faithful in what God has invited them into. Their heart for the people of Portugal and their desire to see people around them walk in obedience and in relationship with Jesus is evident in all that they do. I have learned so much from these two. 

In the 3 years that I have come to know Otto and Marjorie, they have challenged me, encouraged me and they are not afraid to ask me the hard questions. I am incredibly thankful for their friendship and their mentorship in my life.

Hopefully one of these days I will be able to work alongside them in ministry in Portugal. 

Joe and Paula are also included on this list. I wrote about them last week. You can read it here: http://karafriesen.blogspot.ca/2013/10/jose-and-paula.html

weekend in London part 2

Our third day in London we were not as blessed in the weather department as we were on day 2. The forecast called for heavy rain and cold temperatures. Me, being the awesome packer that I am, forgot to pack appropriate shoes for spending hours in the cold and rain. Way to go Kara!
By the time we got off the train and got to the city, my shoes were so wet I could literally wring them out. This meant that one of the first things on our agenda was to find me some shoes. Thankfully there was a Primark right when we exited the Underground. Praise the Lord!

We made sure to get most of our outdoor walking around and sightseeing done on the first day when it was sunny and dry, so we left our indoor tours and museums for the second day. On our way to the British Museum, Kiri and I stumbled across this fabulous second hand bookstore. We nearly screamed when we caught sight of it. There is nothing quite like the smell of a second hand bookstore. We both found some pretty great finds including a Princess Diana Tribute book. Ahhh!!! I could hardly contain the excitement. 

The British Museum was another highlight. The place is huge with so much to see and do. We spent a couple hours walking around and I don't think we even saw half of what was available to see.

The inside of the British Museum was phenomenal. So much to see.

A portion of the Rosetta Stone on display.

A reconstruction of part of the Parthenon in Rome.

A corpse that had been mummified - the flesh was still fairly in tact. Incredible!

We also stumbled across the fabulous Pub/Tea Room.

Classic Earl Grey Tea and Scones were the perfect way to end off the afternoon.