It is so good to be weak.
Yes, I said that right.
It is good to be weak.

Weakness, I have discovered, is a great place to be.

It is only in weakness that we can find the epi center of humility.
It is only in weakness that we really really REALLY have to rely on the Lord and on others.

But this isnt something I can take credit for, or have come up with myself. It's a truth I have heard many times before, that the Lord's strength and power is made perfect in our weakness (2 Cor. 12:9) or even dating before that in Isaiah 40, that the LORD gives strength to the weary and gives power to the weak.

But, it is only in weakness that this truth, that we hear often, becomes a reality. It is in only in weakness that we understand this mystery.

Although, weakness hidden under pride, or under lies, or under fear, or under not being vulnerable or real is a very dangerous place to be.

So embrace your weakness, so that, you can be embraced by the LORD.

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Where's Nicole at?

Physically - back in Vancouver. Linsey's wedding was lovely...beautiful...a joyous time by all. I'll post pictures soon. Since being back I've gone up to camp, and did a teaching thing on Listening Prayer...it went over really well, I was blessed, others were blessed, it was a blessed time. I head back up for Teen Camp on Sunday, for a week, that will be great too. So this week I still feel in vacation mode...all laid back and all. Since I know I'm going out of town again shortly, I havent really stepped back into routine, and I'm okay with that :)

Emotionally - I am in this beautiful place of weakness. And really, it is a great place to be. I feel so weak, and on edge, and unstable, yet so strong...why? Only through God's strength do I know this.

Spiritually - I am loving the LORD's presence (and I credit this to my recent love of weakness). Digging in Isaiah in my rations. Chewing on the LORDs Righteousness and Justice -thinking of some sweet tattoo's too, probably on my feet - you know for the whole foundation effect.

PEACE

It has come to my attention that my blog needs some attention.
(Hat tip HD)

I just don't know what to write about. I guess lately I have found hope in the lowest of places. Usually, for me anyways, I can only see hope in hopeful situations. When everything is going great then ya, I see hope. When a friend is making the right choices and whose life is going up and straight, ya I can see hope. But when temptation is yielded to over and over I do not see hope. And when my friends backslide for the hundredth time I cannot see hope. And when I've hit rock bottom hope is gone.

The past few weeks have been hard, really hard. In the past, times like these have resulted in becoming hopeless and fearful. Two feelings that cause me to retreat, revert and run away. I think times like these hope is a far fetched word that generally I am blinded to, but I think I have finally learned to trust and thus to hope.

The tough times do not actually bring hope nor does hope flee. On the contrary, hope now becomes that much brighter. Because it is brighter, maybe that is why we become blind for a time. You know, like Saul before he became Paul was going down that road, and then BAM, was blinded by what I am going to now argue as hope (among much more), and it was only after being blind that he could see.

There is hope in blindness too, because the good news is that the Lord will open blind eyes (that promise is all over the Bible).

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What is Nicole up to?

Currently I am in Tulsa Oklahoma whilst my dear friend Linsey New gets married on Saturday. I am hear with fellow Martyrs Beracah, Barnum, Linsey herself, Travis comes tomorrow and Sue Ann on Friday and alumni Heather Dolby (D&G) and Juanito Reyes (H_). What a joyous time this has been. Reunions are such a pleasant time. I encourage you to have many. A good place to start is at the War College - now recruiting for the Conquerors Session 08/09 and the War Cry session 09/10 - apply at www.thewarcollege.com.

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Peace!