Tales from a foreign land.

Happy Christmas to you!

Micah 5:2-5a
“But you, O Bethlehem Ephrathah, who are too little to be among the clans of Judah, from you shall come forth for Me One who is to be ruler in Israel, whose coming forth is from of old, from ancient days. Therefore He shall give them up until the time when she who is in labor has given birth; then the rest of His brothers shall return to the people of Israel. And He shall stand and shepherd His flock in the strength of the LORD, in the majesty of the name of the LORD His God. And they shall dwell secure, for now He shall be great to the ends of the earth. And He shall be their peace.”

Matthew 1:18-25
“Now the birth of Jesus Christ was as follows: when His mother Mary had been betrothed to Joseph, before they came together she was found to be with child by the Holy Spirit. And Joseph her husband, being a righteous man and not wanting to disgrace her, planned to send her away secretly. But when he had considered this, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream, saying, “Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary as your wife; for the Child who has been conceived in her is of the Holy Spirit. She will bear a Son; and you shall call His name Jesus, for He will save His people from their sins.” Now all this took place to fulfill what was spoken by the Lord through the prophet: “BEHOLD, THE VIRGIN SHALL BE WITH CHILD AND SHALL BEAR A SON, AND THEY SHALL CALL HIS NAME IMMANUEL,” which translated means, “GOD WITH US.” And Joseph awoke from his sleep and did as the angel of the Lord commanded him, and took Mary as his wife, but kept her a virgin until she gave birth to a Son; and he called His name Jesus.”

I love taking personality tests. I think it’s because I love being defined. So, my results from this test should make some sense about my personality.

Chrissy’s Results

Apparently, I have Very High Masculinity and Average Femininity. Hmm. Are those personality traits?

Seriously. Someone answer me this question.

I’ve been relishing in the beauty of the new Radiohead album, In Rainbows, this past week. The sound of it reminds me of my freshman year of college. And I’m particularly thankful for the opportunity to pay what I could afford for the record. When you’re in ministry, every penny you have counts…but I was happy to spend those pennies on In Rainbows. I think you should, as well.

They opened a Starbucks in the center of Blackrock, which is about a 15 minute walk from our house. The building that it’s in was an old post office, so the architecture on the outside and in is really lovely. I’ve been there a few times since I moved here, but am worried that I might make an excuse to go every week. You see, not only is this particular Starbucks lovely and spacious, but there is a large balcony outside with tables where you can sit and look at the sea while you enjoy your coffee and pain au chocolat (which I’ve only indulged in once, thankyouverymuch). It’s becoming quite a popular destination, so you really have to know the right time of day to show up for a good seat. If you decide to come and visit me, I’ll take you there…because it’s unlike any Starbucks I’ve ever been to.

Because I’m new to the whole “being in ministry as a full-time job” thing, I’m finding that life isn’t very black and white. The work here is something I’m enjoying more than any other job I’ve had in the past. I’m actually excited to see that the Lord is affirming my desire to be in ministry through my enjoyment of the work. But, things get fuzzy when it comes to work and relationships (and I’m talking general relationships, people). Or, as I should put it, work/relationships. There seems to be so much gray when making a distinction between the two, so being busy and growing tired happen quickly. With that in mind, I’ve decided to take the day off tomorrow. I may go to the grocers for necessary things…but then I may go see a film. And have lunch at my favorite cafe. I don’t know. We’ll see what happens. I’m such a planner, but it feels very freeing on a day off to not make plans.

Thanks for reading. I really hope to update more…and maybe with some photos next time.

Oh. And if anyone can answer the first question that I asked, I’d appreciate it.

It smells like a blog post.

“Dear sweet Lord!” are the words that come to mind as I sit here and think about how long it’s been since I’ve written. But on the other hand, how appropriate it is that I’ve chosen to start writing at the very moment that I’ve been back in Dublin for exactly two weeks. Strange. How time flies. Especially since most days I feel like I never left…and then others are blatant, obvious pictures of the two years that I’ve been away from this place.

I’m still feeling my way around, you see. Still adjusting to the sounds of accents (and not just Irish). Driving on the left side of the road, on the left side of the car. Wondering which bin bags to purchase at the local Superquinn. Thinking about which dress to wear to my friends’ wedding on Saturday. Hoping that, no matter how hard I try, I’ll stop eating chocolate bickies every time I drink tea. Knowing that as I begin to call this place “home”, I’ll never really understand it. Etc. Etc. Etc.

I wanted to call this blog “Tales from a Foreign Land”, not just because I made the move to Dublin. Because as I settle in here, I’m realizing more and more my longing for Heaven…my home. That no matter where I lay my head now, I’m still in a foreign land. And I want, more than anything, to express that longing to the people around me, wherever I may be. Right now, that is here, in Ireland. I want others to see the ache and know it, too.

All this to say, I know it will take time. Relationships take time. Settling into a foreign place takes time. But I never want to be so settled with the relationships and my earthly reality that I forget about the want for Heaven.

So…that’s what I wanted to say, for now. These are the thoughts at hand. There have been, however, more than SEVERAL silly encounters that have happened since I’ve been back…but more on that later.

“All these died in faith, without receiving the promises, but having seen them and having welcomed them from a distance, and having confessed that they were strangers and exiles on the earth. For those who say such things make it clear that they are seeking a country of their own. And indeed if they had been thinking of that country from which they went out, they would have had opportunity to return. But as it is, they desire a better country, that is, a heavenly one. Therefore God is not ashamed to be called their God; for He has prepared a city for them.”
Hebrews 11:13-16

I stole this from Rebs.

“Abram believed the LORD, and He credited to him as righteousness.”
Genesis 15:6

The tendency to focus on the appearance of my life has reached mythical proportions. Lately, the circumstances surrounding me have been quite bizarre: four car accidents, loss, cancer, grief, sickness, etc. My immediate reaction has been to question God…”Why?” or “AGAIN?!” or “You can’t be serious?” have been a common occurrence. But the central question has been, “Where are You?” In the midst of my frustration, I’ve turned to other things to occupy my time. I’ve seen many movies, read many books, and have spent countless hours in front of my computer screen. My willingness to simply “exist” has become my greatest idol. You see, in my mind, the appearance of my life far outweighs the promises that God has made to me…or to anyone, for that matter.

The fact is, I’m terrified to move forward with life for fear that I might fail. And I’d rather look at life situations through the lens of fear and failure than through the eyes of God and His word. I only have 74% of my monthly support committed to me and I’m planning on making it to Ireland in mid-April. I have so many people to say goodbye to and spend time with that the thought overwhelms me. I don’t want to disappoint anyone.

Yesterday, I read the story of Abram (yes, yes…’Abraham’). This man was told by God to leave his country, family, and home behind to pursue where the Lord had called him. Those movements forward changed his life and relationships forever. They also shaped the man that God created him to be. Would I compare my current life-story to that of Abram’s? In some ways. Would I compare my faith to that of Abram’s? Heck no. Do I have the same faithful God that Abram was trusting in? Absolutely. Abram stumbles to believe at moments, and yet every promise that Yahweh made to him, He kept…even the promise of a son that God would later command him to sacrifice.

With the many questions I’ve offered up to God, the answer of His promises and who He is have remained the same. Often, I forget about them to wallow in my own self-pity or doubt…and He is right there to give me a working car, a letter in the mail, a new supporter, re-kindled friendships, a good cup of coffee, and grace in the midst of my unbelief.

“For this reason it is by faith, in order that it may be in accordance with grace, so that the promise will be guaranteed to all the descendants, not only to those who are of the Law, but also to those who are of the faith of Abraham, who is the father of us all, (as it is written, “A FATHER OF MANY NATIONS HAVE I MADE YOU”) in the presence of Him whom he believed, even God, who gives life to the dead and calls into being that which does not exist. In hope against hope he believed, so that he might become a father of many nations according to that which had been spoken, “SO SHALL YOUR DESCENDANTS BE.” Without becoming weak in faith he contemplated his own body, now as good as dead since he was about a hundred years old, and the deadness of Sarah’s womb; yet, with respect to the promise of God, he did not waver in unbelief but grew strong in faith, giving glory to God, and being fully assured that what God had promised, He was able also to perform. Therefore IT WAS ALSO CREDITED TO HIM AS RIGHTEOUSNESS. Now not for his sake only was it written that it was credited to him, but for our sake also, to whom it will be credited, as those who believe in Him who raised Jesus our Lord from the dead, He who was delivered over because of our transgressions, and was raised because of our justification.”
Romans 4:16-25

With big changes coming in the next several months, I thought it might be a good idea to give my blog a new face and a new purpose.

I want this space to become a tiny window into my messy, redeemed life as I move to Ireland…and as I am living there. I want to relay the many stories in which I forget cultural nuances and make a fool out of myself. I want to write about the hours-long conversations that I’ll have over a pint with friends about life and who Christ is. I want to share many photos with you because I own a digital camera now and have no excuse not to capture the beauty around me in Ireland. I want to tell you about the ways that God is expanding His Kingdom and using our little team to disciple and train leaders in the universities and the Irish church.

Are you ready for an adventure? I know I am.