Green pastures and a creative God!

Wow.. I got hit hard with another killer cold the day we returned to Sweden from Ethiopia. It's been an intense winter of travels for the Strandbergs. I finished up studying in October, we back-packed through Northern India November and December, returned to our desert homeland of Ethiopia in January/February... and now we're in Sweden for 3 weeks until venturing West to the United States. Looking forward for refreshment in Youngstown before the real journey of our lives begins in the summer! Back to South Asia and all the millions and millions of people I'm in love with!!!

I took this picture while trying to sleep on a shaky top-bunk of a 14 hour train ride in India. Surrounded by baggage, listening to worship and using my Bible as a pillow :) I was so exhausted but was being reminded that God always fills my heart with peace and joy and makes me a home to lie down in whenever I need it :) I love the power and simplicity of Psalm 23 and have been reading it a lot lately!

You know, I love how creative God is. He's always up to a new thing! There is no chance of becoming religious or traditional when you're really close to Papa's heart... because He is the definition of creation, new things and rebirth! Lately I've been reminding myself not to fall into the boxed-in mindsets of how things have been accomplished in the past. Everyone likes to tell everyone else how to, or not to do things. That's just not how Jesus works though! If HE says it... He will accomplish it! And in a new and wonderful way which is usually opposite of anything we thought up on our own. The Bible says that HIS ways are HIGHER than our ways..... how dare we think we've got it all figured out. I don't want to place myself ahead of Him by saying things like "I don't think I can do it like that", "this won't work", "no one has ever done it this way before".... no, I want to put it allll out there and let God simply sculpt what He wants. All the while though, the simplicity of the Gospel is the foundation that creativity grows from. It's a beautiful truth.

Yep.. this is the season I seem to be in right now.... being led in green pastures by still waters... and creative storyboards in God's Kingdom!!