The night before I was scheduled to leave, I became overwhelmed with fear of having a panic attack on the plane. I ended up getting on the plane the next morning and made it to Seattle, safe and sound. After being there for one week on January 4, 2011 I had made my way to intern prayer at the UD campus. Wanting to go there to see old friends I was so captivated by the presence of God and as Pastor Mark Venti began speaking to the interns I felt he was speaking directly to me. 'Tell God what you want' he said, 'ask God for the things you desire'. I asked God for 3 things: Supernatural rest, His presence to be so tangible in and around me that I could never deny Him, and clarity on what He wanted from me next.
Being an intern for 2 years at the City Church was such a privilege as I had the opportunity to glean from such amazing people and grow in relationships with not only amazing peers but world renown pastors! One of which would be Pastor Jude Fouquier. This man is such an awesome pastor, he truly loves people. He and His wife, Pastor Becky are probably two people that I pray to be like. Theyre both so encouraging, love God with their whole hearts, and it shows in every relationship, every encouraging word, and everything they do. This summer the Fouquiers were called to a small city in California called Ventura to pioneer a church. Obviously myself and others who know Pastor Jude and his family would be honored to follow them but cards weren't lining up and I was okay with that.
I enrolled at a community college in Oklahoma to begin my degree in Psychology which would soon lead me to ORU to major in psychology and minor in missions, setting me up to be a minister in some other country (Gods choice) ;]. I had my next 5 years all planned out to the date and I was ready for school to start on Jan 18. After telling a few people in Seattle my plans to go back to Oklahoma and start school my heart began to feel unsettled.
On Tues, January 4th I had a dream that I was talking to a girl I had never seen before. I was telling her how God comes in last minute and changes all of my plans. 'In his heart a man plans his course, but the Lord determines his steps' & 'the steps of a righteous (wo)man are ordered of God' were a couple verses I kept saying throughout our conversation. I told her that I am fully confident when I make a decision because God always comes in and surprises me if its not His will. I looked over and there we were, sitting on a concrete wall right along the beach.
I woke up and just began to pray and read my Bible. I was reading in Exodus randomly and began to tell God that if in fact this dream was from Him that I needed confirmation. That night I went to GC and low and behold John Fouquier came up to me, gave me a hug, and started talking about how I should move to Ventura. I was in shock seeing as John and I have probably said 3 words to one another. I went to my seat, and as church started i began to sing along with praise and worship. Right away God said to me 'well, thats what you wanted'. Overwhelmed and so confused I talked to a friend and got some advice, she told me to ask God for a scripture, in that I went to my seat, opened my bible and there it was right where I had left off earlier that day Exodus 33:14 -I will send you there, my presence will be with you, and I will give you rest.
the next few days were a blur as I talked to many leaders, and my parents and was being encouraged and got thumbs up all the way I changed my flight to LA instead of Oklahoma and I am now in Ventura! I have found a place to live but am now on the search for a job!
God is so great and is so funny how he works things out. It is truly amazing how He actually does give us the desires of our hearts!
here is what God paints for me everyday. (:
Oh the adVentura's we have in life.
(:
Ex Nihilo,
Ash
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