A Season of Thankfulness

Ministry is hard! Why? Mostly because it involves a whole lot of broken, sinful people. As we navigate our first year of marriage and our first year of ministry, I have found myself putting my hope and identity in SO many things besides Jesus Christ. It’s easy for me to be driven only for numbers, and get discouraged when people don’t come. It’s easy for me to define how “good” my week has been by if Sam and I have fought that week. It’s easy for me to get frustrated at myself for all of this, and then determine to try harder the next day, only to fail again. And in all of these situations, I am forgetting the Gospel and I am taking my eyes off Jesus. I know this is a problem, and I know I need to get better, but what to do about it? What daily, simple choices can I make to make this better?

Maybe some of you reading this identify with me. You might not be in the same circumstances, but maybe you have a tendency to find your hope and happiness in a lot of things besides Jesus. Maybe you are easily frustrated when things don’t go according to your definition of “success”. Maybe you find your days ruined by small things that you didn’t realize mattered so much to you. If that’s you, I hope you’ll keep reading.

           

Thankfulness and remembrance. God has been teaching me a whole lot about these two words and principles the past few weeks. And it's fall, so what better time to learn the discipline and value of thankfulness!! I’ve been reading through the Old Testament for the past few months, and the Lord tells His people to remember what He’s done for them over and over again. I think that He reminds them to remember for a couple reasons. First of all, He knows that they will forget. We are a forgetful people. That hasn’t changed. Secondly, the Lord knows that remembering will create an attitude of hope and trust in His people’s hearts. We tend to look forward, and worry instead of first looking backward, remembering His faithfulness, and then walking forward with hope and trust into whatever the future holds.

“Be careful that you do not forget the Lord, who brought you out of Egypt, out of the land of slavery.”

Deuteronomy 6:12

“But do not be afraid of them; remember well what the Lord your God did to Pharaoh and to all Egypt.”

Deuteronomy 7:18

This past weekend, Sam and I were blessed with some much-needed time together. We got to spend the whole weekend together; it was very restful and an answer to prayer in a big way. On Saturday night over dinner, we decided to start listing the ways we had seen God be faithful to us over the past month and a half since school and ministry had started for us. We both knew when we started that it would be good to verbalize and talk through some of the ways He had been moving around and using us, but actually doing it affected both of us more than we had expected.

“….the fact that so many guys I met have stuck…we have an intramural football team together now and I spend most of my weeknights with them”

“….girls who have opened up to me, been honest, and who I’ve gotten to work through hard issues and questions with as they navigate freshmen year”

“…meeting Reed, a guy who knows Jesus and is passionate about following, learning, and serving others alongside me on TCU’s campus”

“…our community group that meets on Wednesday nights, how it has begun to feel like a family”

“…for Ernie and Laura (our college pastor and his wife) and the encouragement, wisdom, and love they have provided so generously”

The list went on and on. Just when we thought we had said everything, something else would come to mind. By the time we actually couldn’t think of anything else to say, we were completely overwhelmed with gratefulness and how GOOD our God is! 
Thankfulness and remembrance led us to worship.

“Many, Lord my God, are the wonders you have done, the things you have planned for us. None can compare with you; were I to speak and tell of your deeds, they would be too many to declare.”

Psalm 40:5

And I think that’s the whole point. In the tough seasons, when it seems like everyday reveals a new disappointment. When every week seems to shed light on a new idol in our hearts. When people fail and disappoint. It is in those moments that we need to remember and thank our Lord. Because remembrance and thankfulness lead us to worship. They lead us to the throne room and put us on our knees before an Almighty, Sovereign God. 

And that’s the entire point of life.

“Man’s chief end is to glorify God and enjoy Him forever.”

–Westminster Shorter Catechism

I’ve started writing 3 things I’m thankful for each day in the back of my journal. A simple act with profound implications in my attitude towards the day and my hope and trust in the Lord. And although it’s a choice I often find myself having to make multiple times throughout my day, I am choosing thankfulness and remembrance. For ALL the ways God is working in and around me. But most of all for the cross. Because even if nothing else was good, the cross is enough, and it merits all the thankfulness in the world! Run with me friends. And let us choose thankfulness in this season. 

“And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith. For the joy set before Him He endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. Consider Him who endured such opposition from sinners, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart.”

Hebrews 12:2-3

And so the school year begins...

The past few weeks have been a whirlwind of activity for the Weitman family! From helping with freshmen move-in and welcome week, to starting classes ourselves and taking the GRE (helen), there has been no shortage of things on the to-do list. Stressful? Yes! Exciting? Yes! Amazing to see how the Lord is already moving and working at TCU this year? Heck YES!

           

I think the coolest thing for me has been watching Sam embrace what he loves. I remember one night before school even started, he came home from a long day of ministry and collapsed on the couch beside me with a huge grin on his face. “I love my job. I’m finally doing what I was made to do,” he told me. And as a brand new wife, I’m overwhelmed with the joy and privilege it is to get to support and love someone who is just doing something   that he loves!!  It reminds me of our mission to support and follow the Lord. If I can be this excited and supportive about something that my husband is doing, how much more of a privilege is it to be behind what the LORD is doing?! He is working constantly and faithfully all over the world! And it brings so much life to be just a small part of His plans!

We’re both still in school, so right now Sam’s life is both taking classes as well as doing ministry with guys. It’s a constant battle to get him to stop working and start studying, but I guess that’s a good battle to have to fight. Sam’s typical days involve classes, homework, and then reaching out to and spending time with guys on TCU’s campus in whatever ways possible. He gets lunch with students almost every day, plays sand volleyball at least three times a week, and is joining an intramural football team. Thank the Lord he can play sports!!

To all of you who have been praying for our interactions with new freshmen on campus, THANK YOU! It has been truly amazing the see the Lord provide opportunities and people for both Sam and I to begin building relationships with. And we have loved getting to do ministry alongside each other!! It’s such a cool thing to be excited about and praying for the same things, it brings about an incredible amount of unity! Before we got married, many people told us that when we were both running towards the Lord, we would also be running towards each other. And we have definitely seen how being focused on the Lord and His plans and purposes can bring a great deal of unity and purpose to marriage.

In regards to students, we had about 60 students come to our first Encounter service, after advertising all week for it all over campus! A church family also hosted us at their lake house for Labor Day, and we had 28 students come out for that. Thankful and excited to continue to pour into these students as we walk through the semester.

Finally, a fun part of our last few weeks was celebrating Sam’s 22^nd Birthday!! I surprised him with donuts and presents in the morning, and we went out to a nice dinner a few days later when we had some time off. I love to celebrate, so the cute wrapping paper and girly sign can be attributed to me. In fact, Sam informed me that I was enjoying his birthday celebrations more than he was! I won’t argue with that, I’ll take any opportunity to celebrate!!

All said and done, life has been a bit crazy since I last posted, but it’s been a really good crazy. Starting real life again together is taking some adjusting, but getting to do it married this time is the BEST! Even in the difficult days, it’s incredible to get to live out our covenant alongside each other; life together. Thank you for your love and your prayers! Please continue to lift us up to the Lord as we continue to meet students, build existing relationships, and kick off our fall Bible Study tomorrow night!!

A Summer of Support-Raising

This has been a busy summer for Sam and I. If you’re reading for the first time, I’ll do a quick recap for you…

May 30^th- we got married!

June 1-8^th- my little brother’s graduation/family events

June 9-16^th- HONEYMOON in Hawaii!

June 17-19^th- Moved everything we owned into our new, tiny little apartment. Completely furnished that little apartment through a million trips to thrift stores, Target, Bed Bath and Beyond, and World Market.

June 20-now. Support Raising.

We’ve spent most of our time support raising in Fort Worth or Waco (where I grew up and have a strong church family). However, if you read my last post, you’ll see that we also spent the last week and a half of July traveling and meeting with friends and contacts in Louisiana, Tennessee, Arkansas, and Oklahoma. Our road trip was speedy, fun, eventful, stressful, exciting, new, and adventurous.

So, it’s been 55 days support raising, and we have communicated in some respect with over 60 people, the majority of those being face-to-face meetings. There’s a lot of emotions that come to mind as I think back over the past month and a half of support raising, but the best description I have for you is that I am GRATEFUL.

And here’s why.

1-I’m grateful for all of the incredible people that we have gotten to interact with. One of our missionary friends told us early on that we should view support raising as friendship building. That is probably the best perspective and the best description there is for it. I have loved getting to share meals with so many incredible followers of Christ. Sam and I get to share our story, our mission, and our vision, but we also get to hear about the people we’re talking with. We get to hear about their families, their jobs, their heart for and obedience to the Lord, their involvement in the local church, their stories. It’s made me realize that Christians come in all different shapes and sizes, with all different kinds of gifts and passions, and with all different kinds of callings. Over the past month and a half, Sam and I have had the privilege to interact with the body of Christ as never before.

2-I’m grateful for all the lessons the Lord has taught us. All you have to do is scroll through the previous entries on this blog to see that God has been teaching us a whole lot through this whole process. And let me tell you, it hasn’t always been comfortable. To be honest, support raising challenges me in all the things that I really suck at! Add on the fact that we just got married, and I don’t think I’ve ever been this aware of my sinfulness, selfishness, and pridefulness. But in my awareness of my sin and how short I fall, I have been overcome by grace and by the sovereignty and faithfulness of our God.

3- I’m grateful for the fact that God works in, through, and around me ALL the time. Despite my faithlessness, my selfishness, and my negative attitude on most days, God has used Sam and I and what we’re doing for His purposes countless times. Sometimes it’s directly through us raising support and our encounters with others through that process. But more often it’s other things. Like a woman from my church being encouraged and challenged by a blog post I didn’t even think was very good. Or a conversation with a very old church friend that deeply encouraged both of us. These random little encounters leave no doubt in our minds that the Lord’s hand has been and is over this entire process.

I want to say thank you. To the Lord for providing in huge and unexpected ways for us; He, as always, deserves all the glory. And to each and every one of you. The people that we met with, the people who are reading our blog and keeping up with us, and the people who are faithfully praying for us as we follow and serve the Lord. Thank you for taking the time to know us and to join us in how the Lord is using us for His Kingdom.
We couldn’t do it without the Lord or without you, and we are incredibly grateful for you.

Road Trip Part 2

Sam and I finished our road trip with a long drive home from northern Arkansas this past Sunday. It's taken a few days for us to get back on our feet. Lots of unpacking and four loads of laundry later, I'm finally getting around to a blog update. I've included some pictures below to sum up the second half of our road trip!!

Exploring the replica of the Pantheon in Nashville, TN!

We spent the night in a cabin at Land Between the Lakes
on our way out of the beautiful state of Tennessee!! Enjoyed some
refreshing time in the outdoors.

Both of these pictures are with members of one our favorite families!
We spent a night with the Smith family
(some very old and close family friends of my parents) in Little Rock, AR.
Soaked up a lot of wisdom, were inspired in our faith, and
genuinely loved our time with them!

One night stop at the Buffalo River in northern Arkansas!!
We promised to come back again one day to canoe it. 

To sum it all up…

2,500 miles. 12 days. 7 visits. 6 states. ONE BIG ROAD TRIP!

We're glad to be home, but we're very grateful for our little summer adventure and all the people we got to share some time with on the way!

Until next time,

H&S

Road Trip Part 1!

A week ago, Sam and I left Fort Worth for a little road trip through some of the Southern States. There are a couple of purposes to our road trip:

1. To visit several families and friends across these states and talk to them about joining our support team.

2. Taking advantage of the last month of summer left to see some of our beautiful country!

3. Why not travel?! We love it, and we're having a blast!

We're halfway through it, and here's some of our adventures thus far!

Hitting the road! Please note Sam's use of my Chanel sunglasses. Forgot his own...

Visiting New Orleans! Complete with a stop at Cafe du Monde and the French Quarter.
A beautiful, yet hot and humid visit.

Onto Tennessee!! We are actually spending the majority of our time in this
beautiful state and are thoroughly enjoying every moment of it!

Finally, we visited a friend from TCU in Chattanooga, TN.
Got ourselves roped into a crazy hike to a waterfall…
hornet stings and spider bites included.

Onto Nashville, the northern half of Tennessee, and then Arkansas and Oklahoma next. Stay tuned for updates and thanks for keeping up with us!!

Love,

H&S

Three Big Lessons

Support raising for Helen and I has been one of the most challenging experiences of our Christian life. Never before have either of us had to rely on the Lord for such simple things as a place to live and food to eat. To be honest, this was possibly one of the most uncomfortable positions a prideful, new husband could be in. In the beginning of our support-raising experience, I spent a lot of my time stressed out and doubting God. Many times I thought back to the prayer I pray almost daily, “God, I will go anywhere you want, to do whatever you want, whenever you want”, and thought that I should have clarified for God. I meant preaching to thousands of people or planting churches in the African Bush, not something as humbling as raising support.

However, as time has gone on, raising support has gone from an unfortunate hurdle to one of the most incredible experiences I have ever been through. Now, I couldn’t imagine starting off our marriage any other way. During our short time of support-raising so far, God has shown Himself in ways that neither Helen nor I could have ever imagined. From encouraging appointments with incredible people, to being humbled when we experience someone giving out of nothing because they are so bought into God’s mission. Out of all the incredible lessons that God has shown Helen and I, there is one that stands out from the rest. It was one of those paradigm-shifting lessons. One of the lessons that you come away from and you realize that your life will never be the same.

God used three people to teach us this lesson. A missionary family from Africa, a young couple on fire for the Lord, and the words of a seminary professor to his class.

The first was the missionary family from Africa. Helen, her family, and I got to share a meal with their family friends who do marriage counseling in Africa. During our conversation, they said that they had been trying to listen to God more. They said that we too often act first and then ask God to bless what we are doing. Instead we should be asking God what He wants first and then following where He leads. Those words hit me like a ton of bricks. I was 100% guilty.

The next lesson came about a week later. Helen and I were on a support appointment with another young married couple. We did the normal support raising thing; explained the ministry, asked them to support us, and overall it was a great appointment. The exciting part happened on our way back to the car when I was talking with the husband about our spiritual heroes. One of his heroes was Martin Luther who is quoted to have said that he prayed for 4 hours everyday because he couldn’t imagine getting through each day without that time. The conversation moved on from that, but those words stuck with me. If a man like Martin Luther, who stood up against hundreds of years of religious tradition to radically change the landscape of Christianity today said that he had to pray 4 hours a day because he couldn’t imagine not, how could I think that praying 30 minutes a day was all that I needed?

Both of those were incredible lessons in themselves, but a few days ago God used one last lesson to tie it all together. Helen and I were visiting DTS and we had the opportunity to briefly sit in on a class. During that time the professor explained to his class the difference between legalism and grace in a way that I will never forget. He said that legalists ask “where is the line and how close can I get to it?” but those who understand grace ask the question “what can I do to bring God the most joy?”. The professor explained what he meant using a parable;

All four of his children are incredibly intelligent and have always brought home straight “A” report cards. He posed the question to the class—“When my kids bring home great report cards, does it cause me to delight in them for the first time? No of course not!” He has always delighted in his children. Their excellence in school just provides a new way for him to delight in their character and who they are.

It is the same way with God. We are His children and He always delights in us. When we obey Him and do things that please Him, we are merely providing an opportunity for God to take joy in our character, who we are, and who He created us to be.

Then it hit me. I pray for 30 minutes a day; asking God to help me with this, give me that, and bless this. But I had it ALL wrong. Instead, everyday I get to wake up and ask God “How can I best bring You joy and glory today?”

And then just

Sit.

Be still.

Listen.

And allow Him to speak to me by moving in my heart and thoughts in order to direct me. I get to go throughout my day continuously aware that God is with me. I get to constantly talk to Him as He directs me throughout the day. Through the act of bringing God joy, I have found that I experience greater joy than when I am serving myself.