One More Week

This week is the "One More Week" week.

It's one more week of volunteer teams in New Orleans for the summer.  I praise God for the volunteers that have come to serve here this summer.  It's been 9 years since Katrina so I know it's because of God's provision and answer to prayers that we still have teams coming.  I'm excited to serve alongside Grace Community Church who I've known since 2008! 

On the flipside, please pray for the homeowners whose homes will still sit unfinished because this is indeed, the last week of teams for a while.  Please pray God's peace over them and they continue to trust God with His perfect timing.  I ask you to join us in praying for more workers for this harvest field and consider coming down to help!

It's one more week for all three interns to be all together in one place.  Jamie and Mallory leave this weekend.  Emily will leave next Wednesday for Staten Island to finish out her internship.  I praise God for bringing these ladies here this summer.  My heart is happy to see how much God has grown them and how they have strived to serve each other and love each other as Christ does.  God is doing an amazing work in their lives.  I can't wait to watch their interviews again just to remind myself of why it is I do what I do.  I got to hear phrases like: "I grew in my relationship with Christ," "the staff became like family," and "ministering to others actually ministered to me."  

Please pray for the interns as they finish out their internship and pray for them as they transition to what God has in store for them next.

It's also one more week until I see my BFF Allie B!! I can't wait to see her!

And last but not least, it's one more week until Mark and I celebrate our SIX MONTHIVERSARY!!! I praise God for six months of marriage!  I'm so thankful to have such an amazing husband who loves the Lord and loves me too.

Praising God for this "one more week."  I hope you enjoy this week too!

Marrying a Manning Means...

I was thinking the other day about how marriage has changed my life.  I was your typical single gal who led by the LORD went throughout her day doing whatever was on her list of things for that day.  Have coffee with this person, go for a run, send out that email, return those phone calls, schedule that meeting, travel to this state this week, another country another week, and so on.  I didn't have to think about another person and his schedule.

I think one of the biggest things that has changed for me is that when Mark gets home from work at the end of the day, I stop working.  If you don't know, I have the luxury of working from home when I'm not traveling and when I was single, I could keep working through my take-out dinner and into the wee hours of the night (okay or 10pm because I'm old and can't stay up late anymore).  And when interns are around, I can hang out with them all day and all night!

Mark for me has been my physical presence of putting aside my work and focusing on something else, my husband!  I'm not at all upset about this just so you know.  I LOVE when Mark gets home! Yes we are still in the newlywed stage, celebrating 5 months today of married bliss.

For me, marrying a Manning means I now have better boundaries.  Whatever doesn't get done before he gets home can wait until tomorrow.  It's really okay to stop.  I'm not saying that working long hours is wrong, but for me, I could see how if I'm not careful with putting aside work, I could neglect my husband which would NOT be good.  I'm even seeing that now with having interns here.  I'm asking God for wisdom on how to have a healthy balance between spending time with interns and spending time with my husband.

Marrying Mark has shown me that my life doesn't revolve around my work anyway.  My life should and always revolve around Christ.  The verse in Colossians says: "When Christ, who is your life appears..." So yes, Christ is my life and He has given me Mark to remind me that work is not what defines me, Christ is EVERYTHING and I need to keep Christ at the center of my life, my work, and my marriage!

So if you're reading this and your single, thinking that someday when you're married you'll put boundaries on work, just be careful. Creating the habit now to put work aside, focus on the people around you, and find your identity in your relationship with Christ will help you 1000000x to keep Christ the priority and prepare you for marriage.

"If then you have been raised with Christ, seek the things that are above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth. For you have died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God. When Christ who is your life appears, then you also will appear with him in glory." Colossians 3:1-4