Reflecting Back, Looking Forward
Welcome back to the blog – it’s been a while!
Let me bring you up to speed just in case we lost touch! Since my last blog in which I announced I was joining the Thailand Base Pioneer Team, I:
Prepared to move to another country. Left for Thailand. Helped establish and open a missions base/business. Lived there for twelve months. Returned to America this past August. Made the decision to go on the world race again, this time as a squad leader. And am currently in a season of preparation for this next journey!
If you haven’t already, please go read my Squad Leading Announcement! about how the Lord and I decided this was what I’ll be doing in this next season!
Great! Now that you’re caught up, I want to share a bit about this in-between season that I’m currently in as well as the goodness of God as I reflect back and look forward.
Before I left for Thailand last summer, my final week in America was spent serving at Project Searchlight (PSL), a reunion conference for racers recently returning to America. And this past week, as I was planning to go visit Gainesville, the opportunity to serve at another PSL opened up!
I don’t know if this is just me or if this is how others experience God, but He always seems to reveal the way He works in my life through timing. When timing aligns, especially when I couldn’t have planned it better, I’m always comforted knowing that the Lord has gifted me something within that timing. And this week was no different!
I’m so incredibly thankful for the way He bookended my Thailand season with something so close to my heart! Having an event like this provided a beautiful opportunity to reflect, celebrate, worship, and sit in gratefulness for the past year I spent with Him. I was able to revisit how I felt before leaving for Thailand and how I feel now. He showed me how much I’ve grown this year, especially in boldness and intimacy. And it also provided the opportunity to visit with, serve, and pray over world racers that I hosted while in Thailand. Which, in turn, encouraged them to reflect on what the Lord did in and through them!
Basically, this whole week felt like one big celebration filled with a million small gifts that would have been easy to miss if I wasn’t paying attention. Reflecting on this year has allowed me to process and celebrate with the Lord. It has also laid a foundation of gratefulness that is allowing me to start this next season of ministry in a really sweet place with God. I feel ready for what’s next!
Which brings me to the looking forward part! In less than two weeks I will be going back to GA, but this time it will be the start of my squad leading journey. First, I will spend a few days meeting my co-leaders in person, building relationships with my leadership team, and participating in squad leader training. Then, after a couple of days, all the new racers will arrive and the ten-day training camp will officially start! Keep an eye out for a blog sharing about training camp. I’m expectant for the way God is going to show up and how He is going to move!
Looking forward, I’m excited and expectant for this next season! I’m excited for what God is going to do at training camp. I’m excited to have two months with my family over the holidays to celebrate and stay still. And I’m excited for January when my squad and I will launch to the nations to be His hands and feet! Thank you Jesus for sweet seasons and the in-between!
I pray that as you read this blog, you feel inspired to reflect back and look forward. My prayer is that you can reflect and notice the gifts (big and small) in this season you are in as well as experience the excitement and expectancy for what’s to come! What a beautiful journey we are all on with a Father that gives good gifts!
Thank you for reading my blog and supporting me with your time and encouragement. I really appreciate it and want to invite you to also support in prayer and/or financially.
If you can support prayerfully, please pray for training camp preparation, for my squad and leadership team, and for energy during an exhausting couple weeks coming up!
If you feel lead to support me financially, I would be honored to have you on my support team! I am currently starting to raise funds to cover my field costs so I can leave in January. And my goal right now is to raise $1500 by training camp. Whether you are able to give $15 or $100, every single dollar is so helpful and appreciated! If you want to support me financially you can click “Donate!” at the top of this page!
Thank you for being on my team, for the support in whatever form you can give right now, and for continuing on this journey with me!
With love,
Carly
