Backpacking Through Joshua: Week 1 (Holla!!!)

What made you decide to join this adventure?

Honestly, I learned so much about God and His character in the Daniel SAFARI, that this was a no-brainer in terms of teacher (awesome) and content (sure to be amazing) content.  I really loved the way God spoke to me through Amber's word pictures and questions in the book of Daniel, so I'm eagerly anticipating God's movement in this study.  Honesty:  I still need a kick in the butt pants to read any OT book other than the David books, Isaiah, Proverbs, and Ruth.  I also happen to need to be in a study or in some sort of a goal oriented program to keep myself disciplined (read:  FOCUSED) in studying the Word. Backpacking through Joshua is a fantastic way to take an in-depth look at a book I've only read through a couple of times, and do so with familiar and not yet familiar friends. 
What are you looking forward to in this study?

I'm looking forward to great things!

• A deeper sense of the continuity of the Bible/God's faithfulness throughout all time.
• A deeper understanding of God's character, and how to trust in Him to develop my character (and that of my children)
• Using those truths to guard against fear, anxiety, and analysis paralysis.  In other words, I'm looking forward to hearing over and over again to just.trust.Him.  And to just.do.it.  Thank you, Nike.

 In what ways have you found God to be faithful recently?  

I'm still processing all the ways God showed His faithfulness in a recent experience which grew, stretched, and exhausted me beyond my wildest imagination.  In a nutshell:  About nine months ago, I was asked to produce a Christmas musical at our church.  Note:  I had never produced anything.  Ever.  So, my mind began with, "Why would they want me to do this?" to "I don't think I can possibly handle this--it's just too much for me!" (newsflash: was too much for me, that's why I needed God. :) )  As you know, it's January now, so, by the grace of God, I made it.  And, I was blown away by his provision throughout the show.  I tend to run from pain (as most of us do), and thus, didn't always embrace the discomfort and hardship in producing a show--e.g. the daily problems, working with people who changed from church family to essentially co-workers (exhaustion and problems show our non-church faces, especially mine--ouch) and trying to keep a big picture in focus.  But, these resulted in pruning and growth, in my heart and mind which will go well beyond this particular experience.  Who else but God could turn my trash into treasure?!!! He used me far more than I thought I was ready for.  More than I wanted to be used, even (because I can want to be lazy, shhh).   But guess what?  Because of His faithfulness, I learned to be a little less afraid.  To trust a little more.  To hold all but faith a little more loosely, and to step out in that faith.  In short, I learned a little about what it must be to be "real".

“Does it hurt?” asked the Rabbit.

“Sometimes,” said the Skin Horse, for he was always truthful. “When you are Real you don’t mind being hurt.”

“Does it happen all at once, like being wound up,” he asked, “or bit by bit?”

“It doesn’t happen all at once,” said the Skin Horse. “You become. It takes a long time. That’s why it doesn’t happen to people who break easily, or have sharp edges, or who have to be carefully kept. Generally, by the time you are Real, most of your hair has been loved off, and your eyes drop out and you get loose in the joints and very shabby. But these things don’t matter at all, because once you are Real you can’t be ugly, except to people who don’t understand.”

-The Velveteen Rabbit by Margery Williams

Our camping and trekking through Joshua will likely include blisters and backaches and hunger and thirst.  We may feel like our hair has been loved off and our joints are loose.  We may get tired. We may get dirty and look shabby.  But as we go through this time together and with God, He makes us beautiful.  He is in this and alive in us, my fellow trekkies (I lurve Star Trek).  Thank You, Jesus, for the invitation.  Here am I.