Freedom to Feel

As I see God working in people around me and in my own life, I find myself thinking, "This is what it's supposed to be like!" God is broadening and deepening my understanding of what "community" is all about. It's so cool that I can minister to and be ministered to all in the same place/physical location! It's really freeing to not be locked into either of those roles (giving/being given to) and to be able to oscillate between either role within a matter of hours or even minutes.

It has been an exhausting, intense, emotional, worthwhile experience training here in Florida. There are some really hard, low, I-did-not-realize-that-about-myself-until-right-now days (i.e. times of conviction)...and there are times of joyful celebration! There are days when it is so obvious that God is at work and days were it is so obvious that Satan opposes all the teaching, growth, honest conversation, and revelation that is taking place here. I've experienced both of these extremes within the past week, even! It's pretty intense! I am learning that it's a blessing (not a curse) to be able to feel deeply and mourn and celebrate with those around me.

As far as the celebrating goes....a few of us from the COAT training program went to Busch Gardens in Tampa this weekend. It was good to have a "play day" amidst all the work!

One of the first things we did was visit the tigers....

We really loved the gorillas...

Later we saw some hippos....

They're not as friendly as they look...

It was one exhausting day....