it's only from the Lord

This past week was filled with ups and downs, which has been pretty typical of the whole summer. There are times when I am feeling great and I can see God working and I am excited to be here, but there have also been times when I have felt worn out and unsure of what I am doing and ready to be back in Arkansas.

One really cool thing from this past week is that Steven and I had some awesome conversations on Monday! Just the two of us were working together, and per usual we talked about random things like books and movies and craving barbecue. He isn't afraid to ask randomly deep questions, though, which is really neat and gives me a great opportunity to share my faith and the joy I have found in Christ. We got on topics such as the purpose of life and problems in the church and the fact that salvation is by grace not by works. He doesn't seem to be searching for anything; he seems pretty content with his life right now, but I am trusting that God is using these conversations and my attitude to plant seeds in Steven's heart, and I have faith that God will help them grow.

Last week, I was having a really rough day on Tuesday, but I had woken up that morning and asked God to give me joy during my work and an extra dose of His love and comfort, as I just wanted to stay curled up in a ball all day. That afternoon, I was working on plant stuff outside (in yucky weather) and humming to myself. Steven came up to me and asked, "So, I have a question for you. How do you stay so happy at work?" I replied, "Honestly? I wake up every morning and when I don't want to come into work I pray that I will have joy and will enjoy it." What an affirmation that Jesus can be seen in me even without words!

There are twelve of us from Project working at Fred Meyer (it's a big store; five in the home/garden department and seven in the food department), and there are many people who have made comments about the quality of our work. Managers and supervisors notice that there is something different about our group. We have a continued reputation from Project people working there over the past few summers, so it's neat to see the legacy that started that enabled us to all easily get jobs there, and the legacy we are leaving to continue to make that possible. Even if we don't directly lead anyone to Christ this summer, we are leaving the doors open for future conversations.

Thank you for your prayers! Please know that God is working through them, and it's exciting to be a part of His work in Juneau!