"Let Your Light Shine"

Bethany Dillon

The Calmer of the sea, here in this room with me,

So gently welcoming the weakest things in me.

You are the blood over the door of my heart.

What pain you spared me from,

How could I know it all?

Oh wonderful love, you died for me,

The power of Your life is in me

Father let your light shine down on me.

Father let your light shine down on me.

No matter what the day or night may bring,

Father let your light shine down on me.

Oh Jesus, you became what was my deepest shame,

that at your very Name my calloused heart would change.

How could you, perfect one,

Love me when I have done nothing that's worthy of my freedom you have won?

Oh wonderful love, you died for me,

The power of your life is in me.

Father let your light shine down on me.

Father let your light shine down on me.

No matter what the day or night may bring,

Father let your light shine down on me.

Open up the heavens, pour down Your Spirit

Hold me God!

Oh Jesus wherever you lead I'll sing harmony

Hold me God!

Father let your light shine down on me.

Father let your lgiht shine down on me.

No matter what the day or night may bring,

Father let your light shine down, let your light shine down.

Wow, it seems that a lot has happened this past week. We hosted our first large team (62) and all went well. We made some great new friends and figured out how to function with large groups. However, we'll have to see how things go the week we have 103! Yikes!

Last Wednesday night I spent some time with a team member who has a great blessing. God was really speaking to him about some things that I needed to hear and some things that I needed to do and think about. Without going into too much detail, it was a time to be able to let go of past hurt and bitterness and bestow forgiveness that leads to freedom. It was so amazing to hear what God had been telling him so very clearly and how that related to me and things that were keeping me from truly living the abundant life Christ offers. It was a chance to realize there were things from the past that I was holding onto that I just needed to surrender. What a blessing the past several days have been as that burden has been lifted!

This has been a good weekend as well and lots of time has been spent with friends. Friday night was a Yellow House staff bonding night as we watched Lord of the Rings: Two Towers. Always a great movie. And then, because we were being spontaneous (or something) we watched the Prince and Me. I was surprised Ms. Jeri made it until almost 1:30 a.m.! Saturday was lazy and in the evening several of us ventured out for dinner and ended up getting Quiznos and returning to the Yellow House where we watched the end of Forest Gump.

This morning I was up at 5 a.m. to shower and take Mishona, Sheila and Daniel to Mardi Gras Marathon. Sheila and Daniel ran the 5K and Mishona ran the half marathon along with several other staff and church members. It was great fun to cheer them on. When we returned home Ms. Jeri and I continued our spontaneous weekend by driving a bit out of the way to go to Starbucks before church.

Our teams arrived around 5 p.m. and orientation went well. Some last minute surprises had us scurrying to make changes with work assignments, but all in all it looks like it is going to be a great week. After all, with 60s and 70s in the forecast, how can it be bad? :)

"Delight yourself in the LORD and he will give you the desires of your heart. Commit your way to the LORD; trust in him and he will do this: He will make your righteousness shine like the dawn, the justice of your cause like the noonday sun." - Psalm 37:4-6

I saw this dandelion for the first time when my mom was here a few weeks ago. I had probably passed it a hundred times before as it is growing along the sidewalk I take to and from both church and the office. My mom noticed it and pointed it out because dandelions were my grandma's favorite flower. Now every time I pass it I have this amazing reminder of her and I am reminded of how much she would love to hear about what I am doing here. Just one more reminder of God's enduring faithfulness. I love the verse above, but think so often we like to take it out of context to say that if we follow God he will give us whatever we want. He knows the deepest desires of our heart and he knows everything that we need. And how many times is what we need not what we are chasing after or not what we think we need. Some days I just need to see that weed growing out of the crack in the sidewalk to be reminded of how much my grandma loved me and God knows that. Perhaps that's the reason it's there. I don't know. But I do know that he is so good.

On another note, we have officially entered the busy season here at Urban Impact and EFCA Crisis Response. We have 64 people here this week and those groups will swell to as large as 98 in the coming weeks. Tempers have been short today and I know a lot of us are struggling with a lot of different things as we try to juggle many things. Please pray for unity and patience in this time. Please pray that we would each take time out every day to be in the Word and in prayer. I know the devil is trying to use this stressful transition into much larger groups to detract from our focus and cause strained relationships. We cannot and will not let that happen. One of our staff recently reminded us that this is a battle and it is not one that is going to be won on our own. It is only by His power that we can overcome and see God glorified in mighty ways during this time.

"A new command I give you: Love one another.

As I have loved you, so you must love one another.

By this all me will know that you are my disciples,

if you love one another."

-John 13:34-35

Happy Valentine's Day! I was just talking to Helen, Pastor John's secretary, about Valentine's Day and we were discussing how neither of us much care for the holiday and in walks Pastor John, with a rose. He gave one to each of the women on staff and what a day brightener that was! Sometimes God surprises me with the smallest things that make such a difference and remind me of how he knows what my heart needs.

Well, Mardi Gras is over and I'm so excited to have the city back. I attended oodles of parades with many friends, and my mom, and had a ton of fun. On Mardi Gras I dropped mom off at the airport at 6:15 and by 6:45 I was out on the parade route with Sara to try and hold a spot. That was much easier said than done, but we tried. The rest of our group showed up around 8 a.m. and the crowd grew denser every minute until the parade rolled around 9. I stuck around parade after parade and as the day grew hotter it seemed to get dirtier as well. By the time I left St. Charles at 3:30 there were too many beads, plastic bags, and trash items floating around the streets to count. All in all it was a good experience, but one that I am not likely to repeat. I will stick to the parades leading up to Mardi Gras and find a nice, quiet place the day of.

On another note, my mom left Tuesday morning after being here for the week. It seems like it went by so fast! We did a little bit of everything from visiting teams to touring places I worked when I came down on teams. We participated in Super Friday, shopped on Magazine Street, attended parades, ate at a cute little pannini restaurant and my mom had her first Starbucks!

We also did some girlie things to my camper such as making curtains for my bedroom and getting a few rugs to minimize the sand tracked into the camper. It has been even nicer to come home to my camper now that it is cleaned up, a little more organized and a little more homelike.

It was hard to have her leave on Tuesday but it was so good to have her here to see where I am living, meet the people I work and interact with on a day-to-day basis and get a better feel for the city. More than anything else, it was so good to have her here for my birthday. I don't know what I would have done to have her so far away. I realized on her birthday back in December when she talked about not having her mom around for her birthday that I wanted to have her here for mine. I am so proud of her for braving the crazy world of air travel, and surviving an unexpected overnight stay in St. Louis, to get here and I am thankful that God got her home without incident. I love you Mom!

"Can I see another's woe, and not be in sorrow too?
Can I see another's grief, and not seek for kind relief? - William Blake

Today was the funeral of Nicola Cotton, a 24-year-old police officer from the Sixth District who was killed just days ago when she approached a man to question him. She was two months pregnant.

I had never in real life seen a police procession. It was moving and amazing and so very sad. You hear so many things about police officers, both good and bad. You hear in this city about the corruption and racism, but this was above all of that. This was about honoring one of their own for her dedication and service. This was about pride and respect.

Nicola was an officer here in Central City. She was friends with Michael and Melashaun Franklin and Robin Turner, all of Castle Rock Community Church. She attended our college Bible study several years ago. According to friends and relatives she wanted to help people. My heart aches for her family and prays that they will find comfort in the arms of the Father.