Hurricane Ike

We went through our first hurricane! Took lots of preparation! Kiellor was at work and Colin's at school, so I got the pleasure of helping my dad board up the windows. :) I actually enjoyed it!

I miss the good ole' woodshop days, so it was fun to have a saw in my hand again!

Haha, exposed by Andy...due to time constraints I didn't get a chance at the saw after all, only got to pose with it for a picture. :)

The big ole' neighborhood dog.

Awesome thing about hurricanes: they bring people together! Our whole neighborhood was out and about preparing, and since school and work got called off, we got to spend a lot of time together.

The sky was incredible!

Then it got a little ominous....

Then a little scary!
I went inside and made an "ike cake" to share with the neighbors. What else is there to do?!

Thankfully we all made it through unscathed, though many others were far less fortunate. We lost power for two days, didn't get much sleep the night of the storm (boy it was loud!), and the roads were obstructed for awhile with branches, but life got back to normal pretty quick and we're thankful that we didn't have any permanent damage (except for a broken window that got hit with a rock while I was mowing...before the hurricane hit. Isn't life ironic?) :)

Our church offices, however, lost their roof!

My dad's office was in pretty bad shape.Thankfully not much was ruined and insurance is sure a good thing!

Garage Sale!

If you live in Houston and would like to donate anything to my garage sale or come help out, let me know!

Home away from Home

In less than four months, this will be my new residence!!! This is the house that my teammates, mentors and I will be living in for our time in AUSTRIA. It's divided into four apartments and our missionary supervisor's, Robert and Ulla Suhonnen, live just down the street.

But this is my home now,

and I'm enjoying the time I've been having with these lovely people!My brother Kiellor (who works at Quiznos which is next door to Mugz! We have a trade route for sandwiches and coffee :)

My parents :)

And tonight, I get to see these two!!! Colin is at the Honor Academy in Tyler, TX and Chelsey is finishing up her last year at Texas Women's University in Denton, TX so their both coming home for the weekend!

And some time soon this fine gentleman from Indiana is coming to see me! Can't wait! :)

Filling my Cup

I went for a run this morning. I love the peace that engulfs the atmosphere, as if all of creation is eager with quiet anticipation for a new day. With the rising sun comes a living promise that God's mercies are new for this day; hope permeates my being as light penetrates the newly awakened world.

I'm learning how to rest in God.

I'm learning how to live in the present and live one day at a time.

As I daily fill my soul with truth and experience the fellowship that comes from conversing with the Living God, I'm coming to truly believe and live that He is who He says He is and that He will do what He says He'll do! Such rest and peace comes from trusting God. I'm daily blessed and thankful for the ways that His character is displayed in my life-- from divine encounters with people to a $25 Walmart card that some kind unknown person left in my wallet to toothless baby smiles from a little girl accross the counter at Mugz. God sure does know how to care for me. :) What a relief to know that not only do I not have to clutter my mind with obsessive thoughts about what I'm going to do during the day and how I'm going to do it, etc., etc. but I'm COMMANDED not to! I tell Jesus my worries instead and let thanksgiving well up in my heart.

"trust and obey...there is no other way."

That about sums up the current aspiring life of McKenzie Conn.

May you all enjoy the rest, peace and joy that comes from our Father who knows what we need!

Faith

It seems like everyday I'm hit more with the realization that life is hard. But with every revelation of difficulty, the Holy Spirit is right there to present hope, to offer grace, to paint a picture for me of what matters, of what is true.

I was talking the other day with my boyfriend, Jeff about how as I go about the day, doing the different things required, my soul will get hit with a disatisfaction... there's something more. I realized that these times of discontent happen when I lost my focus from Jesus and am not remaining in him. Jeff and I were talking about our ways of trying to remind ourselves to abide in God and stay in constant communion with Him throughout the day...and we both felt frustrated with the results! Things become commonplace so easily; routines and plans lose their true meaning as I just go through the motions.

Why is it so hard, we wondered?

Then I realized that it's about f a i t h.

And the grain of our culture is so totally opposite of faith. We live in a realm saturated with instant gratification, materialism and all sorts of ways to meet our every whim, desire and need right NOW. On top of that, we are so full of visual messages- we can see, touch, feel everythign. But faith means wait... faith means believing in what we cannot see. Faith REQUIRES patience, waiting, persevering, trusting, standing firm, delayed gratification.

It was cool because after I hung up with Jeff, I just so happened to be in Hebrews 11 for my Bible reading plan. :) I'm not exactly sure what it's going to look like, living by faith, but I'm chewing on Hebrews and I'm thankful for the constant presence of my good friend, the Holy Spirit. I love learning, so I'm so glad He likes to teach me all throughout the day!

So there's some throughts for the day. :)

On another note, I did indeed get a job at a coffee shop, called Mugz. I love it! It's fast-paced, efficient, and customer oriented. I'm still learning the ropes, but I love my co-workers and manager and am so blessed by how God set it all up for me!

Other than working, I've been renovating my room (which will be the guest room when I leave), keeping in touch with friends and my boyfriend (we're two weeks into four months apart! God's been teaching us a whole lot, so though I miss him, I'm thankful for this time), and spending time with family and being involved at Christ Chapel. I sent out an update letter this week, so I hope you enjoy it! I'll keep you posted on further developments. :)

Much love, and may God empower you to walk by faith and not by sight today!

Home Sweet Home

I'm back in Texas!

After wrapping things up at BCOM for this first year, I got back to Houston with my family late Tuesday night and have been unpacking and unraveling here at home. I'm excited for these next four months! I'm looking forward to plugging back in with Christ Chapel (my home church), finding outlets for :::creativity::: and artistic endeavors, hopefully getting a job at a local coffee shop (I have my interview tomorrow!), and seeking potential partners to support me as a missionary through Bethany International Ministries in my upcoming adventure to Austria!

I'll keep ya'll posted, but I just wanted to say a big "howdy" from Texas. :) I must say it's good to be home!

Texas in the Windshield

Just about two years ago I saw home fade away in the rearview mirror, and now, an Honor Academy internship and 1 year at BCOM later, Richmond, Texas is soon to show up in the windshield; I'm quite excited!

This year at BCOM has been one of the most enriching, fulfilling, satisfying, and deepening years of my life. God has tilled the soil of my heart and I feel chalk full of seeds! I'm excited to watch them grow and bear fruit that will last. God has been so faithful to keep me for Himself and I've been greatly encouraged to see prayers that I've been praying since I was twelve start coming into fulfilment!

These last two weeks at BCOM are filled with...

1. Quite invigorating and unpredictable classes with Tony Hedrick on the topic of apologetics. He's an awesome artist who says things as they are and is about the most non-religious follower of Jesus that I know. :) It's quite refreshing.

2. Time with Jeffrey Beiler! We've almost been dating for 3 months and I have been so blessed by his friendship. This past week we enjoyed horseback riding, painting, running (he's a challenging but encouraging running-buddy :), and a fancy night out to the Cheesecake Factory with two other couples from BCOM. I'll be making a pit-stop to his house in Indiana after we graduate, and from there I'll head home with my family! It will be sad to say goodbye for four months, but we're both excited for what God has during this next season and for the challenge of growing closer together while being a part.


3. Friends, friends, friends. I've been so blessed by Godly friendships of all kinds this year! Some of my favorites...my friend Emily Ona whom I'm currently at Panera bread with (we enjoy hazelnut coffee, cinnamon rolls and good conversation together:)...my teacher, Nita Steiner, a missionary veteran who has Jeff and I over for Brazilian food and offers up many a faith-filled prayer on my behalf...my lovely roommate Heather Hall whom I have enjoyed growing with and fighting through the hard times on our knees together. We went to an adorable Nepalese restaurant this past weekend and were both encouraged as we reminisced of what God has done in our lives over chicken and curry. :)...and last but not least, Lindy Beamesderfer, a spontaneous but disciplined lady who walks with Jesus and loves life, people, and juice. She's been a very enjoyable friend, and I look forward to continuing our friendship as we'll be teammates in AUSTRIA!

I'm getting more and more excited to invade Vienna here in just a few short months. I'm really excited for this upcoming time of preparation and planning and am excited to see a lot of you all very soon!

If you could be praying for me this week for God's direction, inspiration and creativity as I prepare for this next season at home. If you could also pray that God would give me a steadfast spirit to sustain me, and for great endurance and perseverance to remain in the Lord!

Love to you all!

-McKenzie