This is harder than I thought...

The "challenge" part of my photo challenge is what's standing out to me right now.  There was a great thunderstorm last night, but I just couldn't figure out how to best photograph the eerie sky and crazy wind.  Definitely a portrayal of God's power....definitely a portrayal of my lack of photographic skill and creativity.  It's about growth though right??  Instead, I chose a subject who was much more still.  This is Willie, my friend's Jack Russell Terrior, watching SYTYCD with us.  How do I see God in the picture of Willie, you might ask?  Good question, I say!!  To me, this is a picture of peace.  I love how dogs can just cuddle up with their master (or Aunt Val) and not have a care in the World.  Isn't that what we should be doing with God?  We don't have to worry and fret, and can just rest easy when we are wrapped up in His arms, where He eagerly invites us.  It reminds me of Matthew 6: 25-34
 "Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more important than food, and the body more important than clothes? Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life?
   “And why do you worry about clothes? See how the lilies of the field grow. They do not labor or spin. Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these. If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, will he not much more clothe you, O you of little faith? So do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own."
If you've known me for any length of time, you know what a battle I fight with worry and anxiety.  Let's try to remember this picture of worry free Willie and let it guide us to the arms of the One who loves us, rather than let worry and fret have any place in our lives.
So, this means I am NOT going to fret about all the packing I still need to do before leaving for Mexico bright and early Sunday morning (3:15 am to be exact!)  I'll be joining 6 others from the young adults group at my church, along with a group of highschoolers on a mission trip to Nogales, Mexico and I cannot wait!!!  We'll be living at the Cuirim House and working with Cuirim Outreach for a week, serving in the slums of Nogales.  This is my second trip to Cuirim House and I'm so excited to share what God is doing there.  The transformation that's happening is truly amazing.  I promise to share much more of the details about the trip with you tomorrow before I leave.  Until then, here's a picture of my friend Yami, I met last year.  My team built a cement floor for her family's home and she loved helping us.  I was a much bigger fan of hanging out with her than shoveling the rocks and sand to make the concrete.  

Happy Friday!!