Shifting Gears...

I grew up driving an automatic car. Only once can I remember trying to drive a car when you had to shift gears. It was not a good experience. I couldn't figure it out and about gave myself and everyone in the car whiplash.

In life, we often have to shift gears, don't we? Seasons change. Circumstances come, planned or unplanned... and if we don't shift gears, we won't have enough power or the right speed to make it over and through the terrain we're passing through.

For a long time here in Ethiopia, I've sensed the need to shift gears, to change up some things. I've had millions of things going on and one season has turned into the next and things have piled up.

So for a more healthy life and better rhythm, I need to be intentional and shift gears. It's time to clean things, learn things, write things, do things. But I've known these things couldn't happen without change.

Change is scary. Shifting things. We like our usual pace and our comfortable areas. But God calls us to walk wise and to often live outside of our comfort zone. He might call you to run for a season on a hard trail or through a desert. Or go up a mountain or through a valley. And life in general has all kinds of ups and downs and twists and turns.... and if you don't have your life in the right gear... if your power source is off, and if some things are misaligned, it could be miserable or a dangerous season for you. God can use the various roads in life to make us better, stronger, and often to reach others who might be on the same road.

I remember one year, a gym trainer told me...  "Holly, you've done this same routine for too long. It's too easy for you now. You're too comfortable. Your heart rate isn't going up at all when you do this. You have to change your routine, make it harder. Then you will see muscle strength increase." When this trainer made me run on an incline and changed my program, I almost had a heart attack. My body couldn't handle the change at first. I had thought I was really strong, but I was very wrong. True strength is shown when you're able to change up your speed and the strength required and can still master the routine or road. How spiritually fit are you to run well on ANY road?

Are you strong enough to slow down and be still if God asks you to? That's strength.

Can you continue to hold a position that is painful? That's also strength.

Can you run fast up a hill or make a crazy jump for God if He says to? That's strength.

Can you recover from a devastating hit that you didn't see coming, continuing to stand though hurt and angry... allowing  God to shape you and teach you through that hard tine? That's strength.

Are you able to let go if God says to, to not fight when you want to, at God's command? That's also strength.

If God changes up your path, can you still shift gears and not fall down... mastering and running with the grace and skill God can teach you? That's strength as well.

Is God asking you to shift gears? Has your road changed? Or does it need to?

One great leadership talk I heard recently said... "Most people accept their life, they don't lead their life. To lead your life you have to be intentional."

So, to be intentional in my life, to be more healthy, what do I need to do? What do you need to do?

And when do you shift things, change gears? How do you know when that's even needed?

If you're stumbling, struggling, overwhelmed, or feeling burned out... a shift or change is probably needed. If you're disconnected, isolated, and patterns of unhealthiness are developing.. a shift is needed.

Sometimes life just happens, making you shift. Things like a job change, a relationship beginning or ending, a death in the family, the birth of a child, starting school, finishing school, a new medical condition... all can make you shift gears. Sometime God leads you to shift. And sometimes God just gives wisdom to make the choices you need to make. But shifting gears is so necessary.

graduating from one season to the next.. causes a shift

death can shift gears for you and those you love

Marriage and relationships involves shifting gears...

When and How to Shift

So how can you know if a shift is needed? And what can you do?

1. Evaluate Your Life - We don't like exams or evaluations... but they help us see where we are. How are you doing in all areas... spiritually, physically, financially, emotionally? How is your family, your priorities, your time management, your stress levels? Are you in a good rhythm, pace? Is there peace, joy, good connection with God? Is anything in access? Is there anything you need to do more of? What needs changed, shifted?  Evaluate and see the gaps or areas that might need shifted.

Psalm 139:23-24
Search me oh God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts. See if there is any offensive way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting..

Psalm 90:12
Teach me to number my days...

2. Pray - Ask God to show you if the road is right, if your run is a good run for Him. Does anything need changed up, moved out, added, deleted, shifted, realigned? He will show you.

Jeremiah 29:13
You will find me when you seek me with all of your heart...

Psalm 32:8
I will instruct you and teach you the way you should go

Proverbs 3:5-6
Trust in the Lord with all your heart, lean not on your own understanding, in all your ways acknowledge Him and He will make your paths straight.

3. Then Intentionally Move (clean, cut, save, stop, start)... Make the moves God leads you to make, and trust Him. Follow Him. Do what needs done. Do what He says. And keep accountable to the changes made.

Deuteronomy 31:6
Be strong and courageous...

Psalm 41:10
Do not fear, for I am with you...

John 14:1
Do not let your heart be troubled...

Zechariah 4:6
Not by might, nor by power, but by my Spirit says the Lord.

Hebrews 12:1-2
...Let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, let us fix our eyes on Jesus...

Hebrews 10:39
We are not of those who shrink back and are destroyed, but who believe and are saved.

4. Then Evaluate Again- keep evaluating and checking your life and if your gears are right. Ask God to help you so your life stays maximized!  We often don't follow a plan for long enough for change to take place. Or we don't evaluate enough and can quickly go down a wrong road or fall into old pattern. Find good accountability with others. Have others pray for you and with you. We're better together!

I have many gear shifts I'm trying to make this spring and New Year- 2019.

Two big ones are... Amharic (language) learning and book writing. Please pray for those.  I started full time Amharic classes a few weeks ago and I'm thrilled to make this long overdue intentional move.

Amharic... language learning

I'm also creating space to finish a writing a book I started long ago. May God help me maximize the time and focus to get those mastered and done.  To get these added in, I had to cut some teaching hours and change my program. That was hard but necessary and intentional... it was a needed gear shift!

Please keep me in prayer also as I live intentionally to maximize my days here.... making the most of each day and investing wisely in the lives of those here.  I'm so honored to get to share life with so many here!

My family is also gear shifting. Most of you probably have heard or seen, NOEL GARRETT, my sister, is getting married this year!!!! Oh my goodness. Our small family of four and one small dog will be adding one. :-) Pray for that.  I'm thrilled to be gaining a brother in law and that my sister has been blessed with a friend and partner for God on life's road. Welcome to the Garrett Tribe-  Mike Martin. I will travel home in June to be part of these two live joining. So wonderful!

Mike and Noel ... two becoming one... June 2019 :-)

May we live well, love well, and shift gears well in honor of our God. 

May our lives be a blessing and not a curse!

May we live intentionally and wisely for God. May we shift gears and have wisdom to honor God in all areas!

Blessings to you and let me know how I can pray for you!  Grateful for each of you!

Here Comes the Bride,... A Busy but Blessed Beginning to 2019...

Landing back in Ethiopia in early January, I knew it was going to be a busy month.

I had my shoe laces tied and whispered a prayer on landing... knowing it was to going to be a sprint through January

God would have to help in a big way....

And guess what, He DID!

Day before leaving USA ... in the gym, preparing to jump

Looking back, it's only with God's help that I'm still breathing and smiling this early February weekend.

Here are some highlights from a busy but blessed January...

First came Ethiopia's Christmas on January 7th. On my return, this wonderful holiday arrived, but I was hit almost immediately with a bad cold and just overall not feeling well.  I did travel to the home of the Kenna family and had a wonderful time with them as always.  But I fought big illness the first ten days or so back in Ethiopia...  so difficult.

I almost immediately also was overwhelmed with work. I had my semester at Hope to finish. Which included not just collecting huge stacks of homework and working through them...but also final exams...and grading through those exam stacks as well and final grading... At Hope it was about 120 students that I had to do grading for. I was literally buried in admin. But finally, this past week, I turned in those grades. God helped me!

Then I did teach an Intensive two week class at ETC (the Evangelical Theological College) in January. This class was 26 students and I had class every evening for three hours for two weeks. Intensives are so hard but God helped as I taught Intro to Youth Ministry. I was blessed by these students and their eagerness to reach youth through their churches.

I also started three new classes at ETC in the past two weeks. One being Cross Cultural Communication. Another- Communicating the Gospel to Adolescents (Teens). And a new course I've never taught before- Health and Sports in the Church. I was super excited to teach the Health Sports course because I can use my background in sports and as a personal trainer. The class is between 50-60 students. Please keep these new classes in prayer... may God make us strong as His body and His church in the world!

Class One... stretching... :-)

And a huge and much anticipated event happened in January also. A big beautiful wedding occurred for Hilina Hailu, one of my former students, who was also a long time Bible study/family member and friend, ...she married Peniel Yohannes, an outstanding guy.

I remember when Hilina first met Peniel, we call him "P", her now husband. I remember the dating years and all the ups and downs through that. And I was there when he proposed to her... one of the most touching events I've ever seen...

Then came the events before and after the wedding and the wedding itself.... no words for the overall experience!  It was an honor for me to be a bridesmaid and to help usher my beautiful sister into this new season of her life.  Here in Ethiopia, a wedding program is not fast and the events before and after... also very cultural and very long, from a western perspective.

First came the meeting of the elders. This was last year... when the elders of both families.. met. And a formal proposal of marriage was asked and made by one family to the other. I was there. And what a day :)

Hilina and P's Dads agreeing

Then came the months of dress shopping and the detail planning prior to the wedding. I had some of my best girls to experience that with... Shali, Hidi, Tihut, and Redi.

Then came the bridal shower the week before the wedding. Some of the lovely ladies in Hilina's life gathered and we ate food and laughed at memories of Hilina and celebrated her with congratulation wishes and prayers.

Then came the actual wedding event. That started the night before and into the day of .

Most of you who know me know I'm not typically a girlie girl... hair, makeup, nails... have never been too much a part of what I think through. So for me, to get long nails of various colors painted and put on, to get eyelashes added and eyebrows waxed, etc, to wear a long pink dress for a very long day, for me it was almost comical. And at the same time uncomfortable. Ha ha. But God helped me.

The day of the wedding, after an early trip to the salon....we were at Hilina's house for hours to take pictures.  It seemed the whole community came to her house to get pictures with the bride.

Then Peniel came and the groomsmen arrived and more pictures were taken.

Then came the church program ... where vows were repeated and rings exchanged. That was beautiful.

Then came the reception program, which was dancing and cake and dancing and food, for hours. The wedding party was center stage as we participated with the bride and groom as everyone watched and cheered. It felt like an entire gym workout, except in a long form-fitting dress, ha ha ha.

Then we were there at a hotel later when Hilina received a new family name from P's family... another cultural part of Ethiopian wedding ceremonies.

Then... we weren't done. Two more events followed. A few days after the wedding came Meles... where Hilina's family hosted a party for the new couple. Hilina and P came wearing traditional clothes, they looked like a king and queen. We were also in traditional clothes. Songs and prayers and food were shared. Then one week later, P's family hosted Kelekel .. where the families gathered again and got to know each other and parents said a final blessing over the new couple.

What a huge cultural experience for me and a blessing to be part of! I was so honored again to be part of the story of these two lives and families joining. May God continue to bless Hilina and Peniel as they continue their life together...

God also in the midst of all the busyness, helped my new work permit and residence visa process... not an easy thing here, so I thank God for that as well!

And we celebrated my great, handsome, amazing Dad's b-day on January 23 as well. So so thankful for my Dad.... his life, his example, his love

So now, as  I sit here on this early February morning, I'm exhaling and saying a big big thanks to God for helping with all the activities of this past month.

I feel like I can now focus on the new year and new goals. I will share more in the coming days.

How was your January? Maybe you were busy, like me. Maybe life held transitions and you didn't do good in those or maybe you did. Maybe God is asking you to still hold in a position of hardship.

Wherever you are, remember God is with you. He has a plan. And He can hold you, lead you, and even yet- help you become all He's made you to be.

May this new year honor Him!

I think with sickness this past month and all these big life events, it's made me realize even more the need to maximize days and time. To embrace life and the seasons were given. Life is short and it speeds by. May we live well, love well, and learn well for our God. What an honor it is to be part of His family, His work, and His plan.

May we enjoy our life with Him and keep perspective and keep hopeful.. as the kids here in Ethiopia often remind me when they smile.

Blessings from here. Thank you so much for your prayers! and please let me know how I can pray for you as well!

We are not of those who shrink back and are destroyed... but who believe and are saved...
Hebrews 10:39