"But the biggest change of all I have only mentioned in passing. I said that I moved twice this year, which is an excessive amount for anyone. But it is the reason for the second move that still boggles my mind. Late in July, while I was in the middle of the application process at UPS, one night at VBS (I don't remember the date. Like I said, I don't have a good notion of time) Jeff King came up to me and asked me what I thought about Old Louisville. I did not have a clue what was coming, so I non-nonchalantly replied that I really like the neighborhood and had lived there once. And then he asked me if I would be interested in living there again. At this point I was thoroughly baffled, until Jeff explained that there was this ministry house called Maison de la Vie and that the elders had suggested that I take on the role of head of house. Thinking back, I am still amazed and can barely comprehend it, except for the fact that I am sitting here, writing all of this in that ministry house called Maison de la Vie. I mulled over Jeff's words for a while not quite sure what to think. I hadn't ever sought out ministry to college students and had just moved two months prior to a new apartment. Later, I talked with Ryan Fullerton and found out more about the house and the situation. Here was a house that existed to be a purposeful community of single Christian women, seeking intentional discipleship and living to minster to each other and to people outside the house—all under the authority of the local church. In this house was the combination of everything that I love—teaching, discipling, showing hospitality and cultivating a beautiful home. And the elders of Immanuel asked me to lead it. Whatever possessed them to do it, I may never understand. Not that I object, mind you. But it seems to me that there are other women more qualified to teach, lead women in showing hospitality and who have desired this sort of ministry more than I have - tremendously godly women.
1 January 2009 – I was interrupted by a few things, and so now continue in my meanderings over the past year. I had not set out to lead any sort of ministry. Actually, most of the ministry in which I have been involved has been of behind-the-scenes variety—nursery, ESL, sermon recording, running the projector and other stuff like that. What was there to recommend me for this I am not sure. But this I do know, whatever was there could only be by the grace of God and the work of the Holy Spirit, for there is nothing of myself to qualify me for anything except the wrath of God. So I praise Him and Him only because He is the author and giver of all good things. And I am reminded that even when I am short-sighted, blind to His work, He is still faithful to sanctify His own - to sanctify me. So this that I cannot comprehend must have come only from His hand and tend only to His glory.
(Interjection: forgot to put this in the journal entry, but it is worth recalling God's sovereignty in orchestrating my circumstances to allow me to accept the role. When I moved last spring, it had first been my goal to find a totally new apartment with Anne Kirsten. We looked for a good long while but couldn't discover anything that would suit. In the end, I into an apartment at Village Manor with another girl who already held the lease. Because I did not move in with Anne, I had no lease to which I was tied and was therefore free to move at any time.)
Within a couple of days, Ryan Fullerton and I met with Ross McGary, Lisa McGary, Jason and Donna Shaw, and Jes and Clayton Rothwell. Within about two weeks, I moved into Maison de la Vie. During the whole process, I met with Lisa a couple of times and this woman named Leah Proctor who was recommended to me as a co-leader (I am so glad I listened to Lisa and Jes's advice).
I must emphasize that at this point I was jumping into something about which I had almost no prior knowledge, head first, body and soul, at the same time as I was going through the process of becoming a supervisor at UPS. The month of August was so very hazy as I made the transition in my job, moved, worked on plans for the house Bible study and generally had no clue what I was doing. I was simultaneously incredibly stressed out and was walking through life as in a cloud. So much new, and I was clueless about what was happening."
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