Crazy Love

Wow! I can't believe it's already almost August! I have not written in forever so here it goes! This past month has been so fantastic! I got home from San Diego, worked a bunch at Nothing but Noodles, and got to attend our college small group at Sagebrush Community Church. We read this book called Crazy Love by Francis Chan and it was seriously an incredible book. It was extremely convicting, but at the same time, extremely encouraging. It was so good to learn about God's crazy love for us. I know that God loves me as an individual, but I don't think that I ever thought about the depth of that crazy love or what it actually meant. I also never thought about what my response to that crazy love should be. Tonight, one of the things we talked about was what kind of legacy we wanted to leave when we died. I immediately thought of the song "Legacy" by Nichole Nordeman. I thought about putting my favorite lines on here, but I really think the whole song speaks volumes, so I'll just type the whole thing on here. :)

I don't mind if you've got something nice to say about me
And I enjoy an accolade like the rest
You could take my picture and hang it in a gallery
Of all who's who and so-n-so's that used to be the best
At such'n'such ... it wouldn't matter much

I won't lie, it feels alright to see your name in lights
We all need an 'Atta boy' or 'Atta girl'
But in the end I'd like to hang my hat on more besides
The temporary trappings of this world

I want to leave a legacy
How will they remember me?
Did I choose to love? Did I point to You enough
To make a mark on things?
I want to leave an offering
A child of mercy and grace who
blessed your name unapologetically
And leave that kind of legacy

I don't have to look too far or too long awhile
To make a lengthly list of all that I enjoy
It's an accumulating trinket and a treasure pile
Where moth and rust, thieves and such will soon enough destroy

Not well traveled, not well read, not well-to-do or well bred
Just want to hear instead, "Well Done" good and faithful one...

I really do not want to rely on the temporary trappings of this world. I want my funeral to be a night of worship, because in the end, it's not about me - it's about Jesus. I want to be obsessed with Him. That's the legacy I want to leave. I want to be so obsessed with Him that people look at my life and are pointed directly to Jesus. That may mean that I spend the rest of my life overseas or it may mean that I live on mission in the corporate world. Whatever I do, I want to serve and love others with the heart of Christ. I want to have a crazy love for Jesus.I want to think of eternity (the other world) so that I can be effective in this world.

"If you read history you will find that the Christians who did most for the present world were precisely those who thought most of the next.It is since Christians have largely ceased to think of the other world that they have become so ineffective in this." -C.S. Lewis

Killing Giants

It is tradition on the San Diego Summer Project to have a week that is titled "Killing the Giants." Basically, this is the week where we share our faith multiple times every day and tackle the uncomfortable situations in our lives. This took place last week, but now that it's over, I have taken time to reflect on it and realize how great it really is. The passage we look to for this week is found in 1 Samuel 17:45-47 were David is telling the Philistine about the LORD and how He is David's help and strength and is stronger than anyone or anything. However, the verse that struck me from the overall passage was verse 48 which says, "Then it happened when the Philistine rose and came and drew near to meet David, that David ran quickly toward the battle line to meet the Philistine" (NASB). I just was so impacted by the fact that David RAN QUICKLY toward the battle line. What a great picture of what we can do in the name of the LORD Almighty! Last year, I viewed Killing the Giants week as a pain in my behind. It made me uncomfortable and I'm pretty sure I made up some fake "giants" in my life or the "giants" were real and I just chose not to do anything about them. This year, with the vivid picture of David running toward the Philistine, I was able to tackle my giants, or at least begin the process. It felt so great to trust God in these areas where I had never really done so before.

As the project continues, I am continuing to process through many things as God continues to refine me. Not gonna lie - it has been pretty rough because I have been believing some wrong things about God and drawing life from wrong places. However, God is so merciful and gracious to me and He continues to pour His love on me and He blesses me with great days out here in San Diego. God is just so good and I just don't deserve it, but I am so thankful for His love and mercy and grace.

"And He has said to me, 'My grace is sufficient for you, for power is perfected in weakness.' Most gladly, therefore, I will rather boast about my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may dwell in me." -2 Corinthians 12:9 NASB

By the way, I am loving the World Cup and Wimbledon! It's probably not the best thing because the TV in our condo is always on, but it has been so much fun bonding with the rest of the staff over watching the USA team play at 7 in the morning! And now that Wimbledon is on, I do all of my work in front of the television! Ok, that is definitely an exaggeration, but I am watching tennis as I am writing this. As a matter of fact, Soderling just beat Ginepri in 3 sets in the first round of the tournament. Just thought I'd throw that in. The World Cup has also inspired the soccer players on project to play every week. It has been so much fun, except that I don't have my cleats! I play in running shoes and it's a big bummer, but I have so much fun! I also play some tennis out at the rec center and I love just goofing around as well as playing seriously. That's how I relax: by exerting more of my energy through sports. It has been a crazy time out here so far, but it is also insane to think that we only have 10 more days here before we leave! Then we are in Disneyland for a few days and then it's home to Albuquerque on the 7th! Until then, I have a lot to do,but it's going to be great!!!!

Peace and love from Sandy Eggo! (See what I did there? haha)

San Diego

What an adventure I'm on! I don't even know where to begin! I have learned and done so much out here that it all just kind of runs together in my mind. So I think I will make lists.
Places I've been:

• In-n-Out
• La Playa
• Clairemont Emmanuel Baptist Church
• San Diego State University
• Grossmont Community College
• Mesa Community College
• Mission Beach
• Mount Soledad
• Cafe 976
• Ralphs
• Trader Joe's
• Yogurtland
• Petco Park

Things I've Learned:

• Humility
• Living Spirit-filled (Galatians 5:16-26)
• Biblical history and prophecy (Daniel)
• and much more that is not necessarily coming to mind right now

Being here in San Diego as staff on Summer Project has been such a blessing. I have been so encouraged by the women in my condo and the rest of the staff. I have also been reminded daily of the importance of time in the Word every day. It is living and active and I need to be in it every day. For the first time in a long time, God is flooding me with peace and understanding and it is unbelievable to experience it all. This is the passage I have clung to since I've been here:

"You are our letter, written in our hearts, known and read by all men; being manifested that you are a letter of Christ, cared for by us, written not with ink but with the Spirit of the living God, not on tablets of stone but on tablets of human hearts. Such confidence we have through Christ toward God. Not that we are adequate in ourselves to consider anything as coming from ourselves, but our adequacy is from God, who also made us adequate as servants of a new covenant, not of the letter but of the Spirit; for the letter kills, but the Spirit gives life."
-2 Corinthians 3:2-6

What a great reminder of where our worth and adequacy comes from! What a beautiful picture this passage paints! Since my "trainer," Abbie, showed me this passage, I have prayed it daily and God has reminded me daily that I am nothing without Him. I am all bad and He is all good.

I have about 3 more weeks here in San Diego and I am so very excited to see what else God has in store for me and for the rest of the project!

God is with us
In His loving arms, we are safe from harm
Blessed with His almighty love
May you find strength from Him above