reflections on our first semester by Becca Vinson
The leaves of fall paved the way for the goodness of Thanksgiving, the gathering of families prepared hearts for the season of Advent & the beauty of Christmas faded into the lively, renewed Spirit of the New Year. For many of us Fellows, life as we see it now at the beginning of 2014 looks different than it did at the beginning of 2013. As we reflect upon the past four months of the Fellows program, we recognize that change is upon us. As Scotty Smith has gathered us weekly & led us through a handful of some very challenging & convicting reads - John Murray’s Redemption: Accomplished & Applied & Henri Nouwen’s Life of the Beloved, to name a few - he was sure to leave space for prayer & reflection before we departed for the holidays & as we arrived back to Nashville. During these times of transparency & of sharing, our requests, our expectations, our worries, & our excitements all shifted from November to the beginning of January. Transformation is occurring within our hearts, within our host families, within our respective jobs, within our minds & within our relationships with each other. We are being stretched, many times uncomfortably so, & deeply encouraged to explore how we are created to live here on Earth as a Child of God, individually & collectively. Is it not the highest honor to be transformed into an ambassador of His hope for the city of Nashville? He’s changing us as 2 Corinthians 3:18 so illustrates.
But, oh, how comforting it is to acknowledge that He remains. His word remains & in fact, His word has always remained. Each of us chose a verse at the beginning of our Fellows year. Let us cling to His word, these truths - the only Truth - amidst transition & transformation as we simply step forward into this spring semester that is right before us.
Skylar: Ephesians 3
Emily: Ephesians 1:17-18
Jessie: Romans 15:1-8
Jeana Medlin: Colossians 3:12-15 & James 5:16-18
Becca: Isaiah 7
Spencer: Matthew 6:33
Hallerin: Psalm 37:3-6
Stewart: Jeremiah 29:7, 11
How comforting is it to know that nothing has happened this year, within the past four months, apart from Him AND that nothing will happen this coming year without Him.
Families. Depth. Vocation. Leadership. Youth. Defeat. Discussion. Challenges. Churches. Reading. Questions. Vision. Retreats. Class. Fullness. Restlessness. Community...HALLELUJAH for how we are experiencing grace & the Lord’s love for us in deeper, richer ways with every passing day here in Nashville.
