Friends forever

Although it seems like I graduated college last year, that just isn't the case. And while it sometimes seems that I frequently get to see some of my best friends that I met during those years, that just isn't the case either. Unfortunately, several months and sometimes even a year or more will pass before I get to spend time with friends living out of state.

I cherish getting to reconnect with some of my favorite people, and this past weekend, I had that opportunity. I attended a shower, where I was able to see and catch up with a few girlfriends, and I even got to see my sister (!) who was, by some miracle, just minutes down the road, but I spent most of my time with these beautiful ladies:

When I'm with these two, it's like no time has lapsed since our last reunion.

We stayed up into the wee hours of the morning talking and laughing. Someday, maybe the three of us can live on the same street and pop into each other's kitchens unannounced, but for now, we'll have to take full advantage of the time we can get.

I can tell you story after story involving these gals. Road trips, living together, ski adventures, one-liners… my college experience wouldn't have been the same without these two friends, and they still bring so much joy to my life.

I hadn't yet met this little beauty, who isn't much older than Levi.

And, playing with these sisters made our time even more fun and entertaining.

Lindz and Mindo, I love you both. I'm so thankful for you!

Seated in the gallery of awe: Nefarious film

About this time last year, GP called me over to watch a trailer for a documentary that was about to be released. As I watched the trailer for Nefarious: Merchant of Souls, I had goosebumps. Somewhere in my mind, I had filed away that slavery was not just a thing of the past, but I didn't realize the extent to which it existed today.

Gib researched Exodus Cry, the film's director and any information he could find on the actual content. He wanted to see the film, but that was only possible by finding a venue where the Exodus Cry team was screening it. The nearest venue to us was hours away, so we decided to go ahead and pre-order the DVD to be here in October 2011.

Fast-forward to October 2011, when we received news that the DVD release was postponed due to the huge response the tour was getting internationally. Instead, Exodus Cry decided to do a second screening tour. With that news, hope was planted that maybe, just maybe, Exodus Cry would come to Norman.

With the blessing of our church leadership, we began communicating with the organization, and they accepted our proposal to add Norman to their spring tour. We danced, we rejoiced… and then we began looking at what something of this magnitude would require. It would involve a venue, volunteers, money, publicity and prayer.

We started with prayer, and God, in His kindness, wasted no time in providing us with not one, but two venues for two screening opportunities. He provided money. And then, to our utter amazement, people interested in helping make this thing happen started appearing. When I say that they jumped on board, I mean it. You see, the Lord hadn't just put this film and this issue on our hearts… He was already moving, long before, drawing the hearts of others in the same direction. To Him, of course, but specifically to the issue of human trafficking.

When I think about the way dozens of volunteers have come forward to help with all aspects of this event, I am amazed. It has affirmed for me that when God plants His vision in the hearts of His people, He works out the details. All of them.

When I think about the group of eight people who, for months now, have come together on Friday nights, I tear up. They are mighty prayer warriors, crying out to God, interceding for the victims of trafficking, interceding for this event, worshiping, thanking God for His victory, for His abolitionist plan, for His heart, for His goodness. They come for hours, and we brainstorm, we plan and we connect. During our time together, I am often overwhelmed by God's plan, and how perfectly He puts things, and people, together.

Since finishing our Equip training school last year, I hadn't felt this sense of deep community with a group of people that I didn't see all of the time. Each time we get together, Gib and I are amazed. We love this crew so much, and we hope we get to be part of each other's lives for years to come!

Although a big focus of our time together is preparing for the screening events, we have also gotten to hear firsthand about some of the amazing things happening here in our area to fight trafficking. We have also gotten connected with organizations working internationally, and we are inspired. Our interest was first to see the film, but it's about so much more than a documentary for us now.

We see God's hand in connecting people, we are amazed at the way He works, and it is our joy and passion to be part of the way He is calling His church to live out  Isaiah 61:

The Spirit of the Lord God is upon me,
because the Lord has anointed me
to bring good news to the poor;
he has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted,
to proclaim liberty to the captives,
and the opening of the prison to those who are bound;
to proclaim the year of the Lord's favor,
and the day of vengeance of our God;
to comfort all who mourn in Zion--
to give them a beautiful headdress instead of ashes,
the oil of gladness instead of mourning,
the garment of praise instead of a faint spirit;
that they may be called oaks of righteousness,
the planting of the Lord, that he may be glorified.




² 

Modern slavery

Did you know that…

… More than 27 million people are currently enslaved globally? It's more than at any other time in history.
… According to UNICEF, a child is trafficked every 30 seconds.
… Human trafficking occurs in 161 of 192 countries, as reported by the United Nations. They also report that human trafficking is a $32 billion per year industry.
… The average age of entry into commercial sex slavery in the U.S. is 13 years old. (U.S. Dept. of Justice)


Maybe you already knew those facts. Maybe you've never heard them, so you're taking a moment to process that information. I've heard these facts and figures dozens of times in the last year, but I'm still not desensitized. Every time I see these numbers, with every story I hear or read from organizations working in the anti-trafficking movement, my heart breaks. A baby in India, chained to a box in a brothel so that she will grow up accustomed to lack of love, to be easier to manage as a prostitute. Children in Eastern Asia sold into slavery because their family could not afford them. Teenage girls in Oklahoma forced to work as truck stop prostitutes.

If ever we needed a reminder that we live in a fallen world, here it is. The world is full of broken people, the victims and the perpetrators alike. Corruption abounds, even within the organizations created to protect and rescue the victims. The thief is killing, stealing, destroying (John 10:10). But the thief isn't victorious.

Praise God that He is good. Praise God that He is rescuing, He is healing, and He is equipping His Church to respond. We are the hands and feet! Micah 6:8 is one of our favorite verses: He has shown you, O mortal, what is good. And what does the Lord require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God.

Amidst all of the heartbreaking stories, I also hear stories of redemption and restoration. God is drawing people to Himself.

I'm thankful that this global injustice is becoming more and more discussed both in general society and in the church body, and even CNN now has The Freedom Project on their Web site.

We are thrilled that in just over two weeks, an organization we deeply respect, Exodus Cry, is coming to Norman to screen their critically acclaimed, award-winning documentary, Nefarious: Merchant of Souls. If you are in the Norman/OKC area, please consider coming to this free event. You can find more information at http://nefariousdocumentary.com. If you aren't in the area, their tour is happening across the country, so look to see if they are coming to a venue near you.

Human trafficking is a terrible thing. It is humanity at its worst. But, there is Hope in the One who creates, who sees, who loves, who rescues. He invites us to be part of what He is doing. Please take time to learn more about this issue and consider how you can be involved. Be part of a movement that changes lives!

Speak life

I'm taking a little break from the "gallery" series, as I recently read a post that stirred my heart. The author, a singer/songwriter and book author, is preparing for the birth of her first child. She wrote this post while reflecting on her pregnancy.

As a mom, I do tend to read articles and posts on the subject of motherhood. However, her words struck a cord much deeper than just thinking about my own pregnancy with Levi.

Her message? Speak LIFE. In a world where, generally speaking, women strive to be pretty and thin and well-thought of, we are quick to criticize ourselves. We are easily duped into believing lies about our value, our worth, and what we have to offer. And when we criticize ourselves, even in self-depricating humor, we can indirectly criticize those we love, too.

I've been posting quite a bit of Scripture in the last few posts. The Truth within it not only speaks about life, but it gives life like no other words in existence. I'm so thankful for that. John 10:10 says, "The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy." The devil is pretty good at that. He comes only to do that. He brings fear and deceit and insecurity. And I think a lot of times, unknowingly, we agree with him.

But the verse doesn't end there. It continues, "I came that they may have life and have it abundantly." Jesus gives LIFE. Abundant life. He paid the price for all of the darkness, all of the negativity, all of the lies, all of the sin. And then He defeated the thief. His resurrection brought life for you, for me, for every other woman (and man), for every child.

Our words are a choice, you know? We choose to speak words of life or words of death, over ourselves and over other people.

I want my son to know that he is loved by his parents and family, and by His Heavenly Father, who knit him together (Psalm 139), who takes great delight in him and rejoices over him with singing (Zephaniah 3:17). And not only are those things true for Levi, they're true for me, too. And they're true for you.

Here's an excerpt from the article:

I can’t even count the number of times I’ve overheard a mom speaking death over her body and her baby.  ”This thing inside of me is making me fat….” or “I’m a heifer because of this dang pregnancy…” or “If I can just get this thing out of me…”  

Your baby feels, hears, and responds to every single thing you do as a mother.  Talk about massive accountability and responsibility.  The babies know when they’re unwanted…they know when you’re depressed.  They hear when you blame them for feeling ugly or fat…even though you think they might not understand…their spirits hear and feel EVERYTHING.  

Even if I had a moment of panic when my jeans didn’t fit anymore, or when my ankles started to swell, or the 3 months I laid in bed because of morning sickness…I held myself accountable to what I chose to SPEAK over my body and my child…and I NEVER agreed with negative emotions.  Ever.  I never wanted my beautiful boy to hear that it was his fault that I felt a certain way, or that I was disappointed or angry…or just wanted it all to be over with.

I think these things are important to remember while pregnant, yes, but I don't think it starts or stops there. Speaking life is really a lifetime decision. Our words have power and they count… so let's make them count.

Seated in the gallery of awe: Jubilee

By the time GP and I finished our degree programs (my undergraduate and his graduate), suffice it to say we had amassed a small fortune in student loan debt. For the first few years of our marriage, we accepted this debt as our status quo, and we weren't too concerned with making more than the required monthly payment. Someday, the debt would be gone. Someday.

About two years ago, we both felt the Lord impress upon our hearts that it was time to address this debt. At first, we took baby steps, but we realized that wasn't what He was asking us to do. He was asking us to change our lifestyle to reflect a life of more simplicity.

We didn't realize it at the time, but in calling us to simplify, He was giving us a gift. Or, rather, He was continually giving us a gift. As we got rid of things we never needed in the first place, we not only had more money to put toward the debt, but we also had more quality time together. A gift. And later, as we grew more disciplined in the amount we were putting toward this debt, we saw the faithfulness of God time and time and time and time again, as He provided for us when we weren't sure how that provision was going to come. A gift.

It's a thrilling place to live, seeing God move as only He can do. His goodness has always been there with us. I know that. But in the last two years, He's given us new eyes to see and ears to hear, and we are amazed. A gift.

When we had our little guy, we went down to one income. In some miraculous way, we were able to not only maintain our debt payments, but increase them. A gift.

The incredible nature of God, the beautiful nature of God, says that nothing is impossible with Him (Luke 1:37).

In the Old Testament, every seven years debt was canceled. In our sixth year of marriage, we came close to being able to make one last payment several times. Yet, each of those times, we felt God direct those funds elsewhere. It didn't always make sense, but we knew that He knew what He was doing. On the day we made our final student loan payment, we realized we had just celebrated our seven-year anniversary. Wow. WOW. A gift.

On that day, I cried. GP was teary, too. We were completely blown away with the idea that tens of thousands of dollars in debt was gone. But even more, we were completely overwhelmed with the goodness of God, the kindness of God, the faithfulness of God.

We celebrated this day of Jubilee (Old Testament term and concept) with friends who had walked really closely with us during this season of life. They knew of the sacrifices and miracles we'd experienced in this process, and many of them had been part of those miracles themselves.

So, celebrate we did! With ice cream and lots of fake money!

We played a little trivia game to see how well these folks actually knew us. Turns out, they know us well!

When I think about this process, it stirs my heart. Romans 8:28 says that, "we know for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to His purpose." He called us, purposed us, to get rid of this debt. But, he didn't leave us to do it ourselves.

When He calls us to do something, when He puts it on our hearts -- whatever it is -- He is drawing us into His plan. While I do think that the physical part of paying off our debt was part of His plan for us, what I realize now is that He was after our hearts, our obedience. In that process, He continued to teach us more about Himself, and I have felt His kindness and His discipline in immeasurable ways.

He stayed right there with us, every step of the way, with every frustration and every celebration. 

He is so faithful. He is SO faithful.

Seated in the gallery of awe

One of my favorite people used this phrase, "seated in the gallery of awe," last week, and I immediately thought, Yes. That's exactly it. As I have reflected over the last year, particularly in the last few weeks, I find myself seated in this gallery, amazed, thankful and excited.

When I sat down to write this post, I initially thought I would just give a little overview of some of the ways that God is moving in our lives. But the more I thought about it, the more I wanted to savor each of these aspects, that when I print this blog out someday, I will have done each of these justice in talking about… at least as much justice as one can do with words.

Sometimes, there just aren't words, you know? Sometimes, being seated in the gallery of awe means exactly that. Seated, unable to move or speak, just overcome with amazement and thankfulness.

Thinking about this guy definitely puts me in that place. I am overcome with awe when I think about him, when I think about our marriage:

We just celebrated seven years of marriage and are quickly approaching 10 years of togetherness. WOW! Thank you, Lord! Undoubtedly, these have been the best 10 years of my life.

A wise man once said that, "For everything there is a season, and a time for every matter under heaven" (Ecclesiastes 3:1). Marriage, perhaps more than any other experience, has shown me how true that statement is.

We have had seasons of challenges and victories, pain and healing, sacrifice and abundance… and through it all, have had the joy of growing together, becoming more and more unified. Truly, I have found him whom my soul loves (Song of Solomon 3:4).

I have the privilege of seeing firsthand what it looks like for a man to be sold out to living a life for Jesus. And the result? The result is an amazing husband and father becoming an even more amazing husband and father.

This man is a passionate visionary. He is loyal and he is true. He serves well, and as a result, leads well.  He loves me and pursues me daily. When I watch the way he loves his son, my heart melts time and time again.

When we were dating, I realized very early on that he was "the one." I gave him a manly ring that said "where you go, I will go" (Ruth 1:16). Now, more than ever before, I renew that promise. Following Jesus together is the most fun adventure I've ever had. I can't imagine doing it with anyone else.

So, is this a sappy love letter made public on my blog? Eh, maybe. Haha! I can't help it. I've been crazy about this guy for as long as I've known him. But, particularly in the last few months, we have embarked on some exciting new things together, and getting to work with him on these opportunities gives me continual revelation that God is so good. He knew what He was doing when He brought us together.

Thinking about GP3 creates in me a thankful heart over and over again. It puts me in that gallery. Thank you, God.

Playing catch up

Can my calendar be correct? Is March 2012 almost halfway over?! I came to the realization last night that it's been about two months since I've written anything longer than a tweet. And while that is indicative of the fast-paced schedule we've been speeding along so far this year, it's also indicative that Team Park has taken some time to step away and just enjoy life. Not a lot of pictures, not a lot of "oh, we have to capture this moment somehow," just enjoying our time together.

But, I would be remiss if I didn't bring this blog up-to-date! Plus, we've had some fun things going on here lately.

So, our little firecracker is now almost 14 months old. That reality is still sinking in! On Levi's actual first birthday weekend, illness hit the Park household. We rang in The Big One Year from bed, all three of us. Yuck. We did manage to make our little dude some birthday pancakes, which he loved, but I was so glad we hadn't scheduled anything big that weekend.

Fortunately, the photo below was snapped the weekend prior to his actual birthday, when we celebrated with both sets of grandparents, and Levi's fun aunts and uncle. Family came in from near and far, and that was a great way to celebrate. The birthday boy had his first taste of sweets in the form of a homemade carrot cupcake, and he thoroughly enjoyed every bite.

Our routine has changed a bit, as I have a job! A friend of a friend needed someone to watch her little boy a few days each week, and that someone became me. It's taken some adjustment on everyone's part, but it's been good for both kiddos (and for me!), as they are only two weeks apart in age. I kind of feel like I have twins right now!

So far this year, we've gone to the zoo, welcomed a new baby born to some of our favorite people (with two more babies coming in the next six weeks!), built and destroyed towers, read lots of books, and had lots of playdates. And, someone learned the art of removing his pants!

I completed another graduate class, and Gib surprised me with a fun weekend getaway, where we got to relax, eat some amazing breakfasts (our favorite!) and experience some of our favorite worship leaders.

Already, 2012 has been a fun year for our family!