a sabbaths rest..

so as i sit at the lake watching pti after a nap, it dawns on me how tired i am. I can't remember the last time i napped.. i'm not that guy... a napper.. college students nap! older, more mature adults nap! :). not heather lods!

so either the prescription meds i was put on today for my cough knocked me out, or i was really tired.. or both. :)

i am tired. and so i rested. but i also completed my list of to do's this week and came out to the lake to rest. i came to the lake for a sabbath.

god took a sabbath. and then he commanded us to take a sabbath. yeah its one of the big 10. its that important to god. jesus had no trouble restuing... i on the other hand, have a hard time resting. i, as many of you know, run and run and run and run.. til my feet fall off (shout out to mouse tales baby!) resting.. even though i have tried harder this year then any, is still very hard for heather lods...

but now i'm entering a season of rest. a sabbath season to rest, and then prepare, for a new work. recently the lord told me that my work at hill country ut was completed. i didn't believe him. no way! I hadn't helped them reach the entire campus yet! I hadn't help them connect every student to christ, his community and his calling on their lives to be missionaries yet! i had more hang outs to be had! right lord?? right???

no.

he told me that i had finished my work. he told me that it was time to leave and rest, and that it was ok to leave and rest. 4 years and 11 months after i had moved to austin to partner with some amazing people to plant a church specifically to reach the university of texas, he told me that my '6 days' of work had been completed, and now it was time to rest.

jesus.. really? really? golly... but.. ok. holy spirit on 3...

to rest, to be, to drink lots more diet coke :) to spend more time with my family, to take a sabbath. he has freed me from my work for a sabbaths rest...

this christian life is nutty. following jesus, trusting him, obeying him is nutty... most of the time i suck at it. i am faithful and loyal to people, sports teams, restaurants, walks against fatness, but stumble and bumble at this christ following spiritual faithfulness thing big time.

jesus always has to take the wheel.. he has to completely take over. and that is a good good thing. the best thing..

i want to thank hill country ut for allowing me this amazing opportunity to serve along side of them. it has been such a great joy.. golly so great. i was humbled and amazed at these folks great faith and love toward the students at UT. and they let a sarcastic ny yankees fan from new england in on their fun. they inspired me with their faith and belief that jesus would reach the city, and the campus. i have no doubt that they will! i will miss this community of believers!

i have so many memories...and my heart bursts when i think of students, dodgeballs, spring break trips. entrepreneurs, einsteins hang outs, walks, milkshakes, :) texts, the joy of emails and facebook chats, spidey sense, magical powers, renevate ut, missional communities, and just spending time with hundreds of students every semester, sharing my life and the gospel with them, and seeing jesus transforming their lives right before my eyes...

thank you jesus.

thank you for this season. to be used in your work was a humbling, incredible, joyful time. fanfreakingtastic.. amazing.. life changing..

thank you denny and bridget, for inviting me to come to austin to join the dream of hill country ut. thank you josh and erica for teaching me to worship. thank you sarah and candace for being my voice and knowing my heart. thank you adults for pouring into students and into me. thank you students for answering my emails :), for the hangouts, for not settling for less than all of jesus.

i pray that if i did leave any type of legacy at all, it was that i tried, i really really tried, to love people well... thank you for putting up with my attempt..