Come in.....

Matthew 11:28-30 “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.”

What does your invitation say? While I hope mine would say, "Come and sit, take your shoes off and lie down. Let me cook for you, drink with me. Find rest and if for only a small while my heart's desire would be that you would hand me the burdens that are weighing you down. Laugh with me, smile, cry, be sad, be happy, be whatever it is that you really and authentically are... let me hold you, embrace you, comfort you, challenge you. I want to know with every ounce of me exactly what it is that you are feeling. I want to celebrate your greatest joys and crawl until I can meet you in your darkest hour. I want you to come and be loved, to feel understood, to feel loved, to feel accepted. I long to know the depths of your beautiful soul." Unfortunately for me, my invitation honestly says something more like, "I am tired, weak and weary. Sorry there is no room for you because I am trying to find strength on my own apart from Christ and all of my resources are exhausted and I am spent. I do love you but I have no rest to offer. Do you have any left over maybe you could spare some for me." Some of my days are like when you are in the car and you arrive to your destination, but you cannot recall one thing about the drive. I lay my head down and night and think, "What happened today?" I lead a freshmen bible study within my sorority and every week we talk about a different attribute of the Lord's beauty and thus what makes us beautiful, defines our worth and our identity etc.... last night was about being Inviting, about Christ invitation that always says, "COME!" I was going, not to explain what I have so tactfully conquered but to confess what I feel so defeated in. Well, when I got to the Pi Phi house they weren't there. I was so confused. I finally found one and she said that someone had told them they weren't allowed in the chapter room and their earlier event had ended forty minutes ago and so they all just thought it was cancelled. Hmmm. Strange. I got to talk to some girls in the house and then started on my way back home. On the way home the Lord settled my heart. It wasn't an accident. He had something else planned for the two of us. I went to express my inadequacy and how I long for the Lord to write a new invitation on my soul and trade in mine, and all the while there he was subtly and passionately whispering, "Shhh.... child of mine, spend some time with me tonight. Accept MY INVITATION to come and rest." I went home put on a face mask, poured a glass of wine, ran a bubble bath, and lingered in the Lord's presence for a good hour and a half. When was the last time I had sat with him and just talked to him intentionally, really asked him what he was thinking? When was the Last time I lost my way with words trying to tell him how I feel about him? When was the last time that I had made one of these kinds of emotional deposits into our relationship. Unworthy of His love, Undeserving of that moment, but so grateful. My heart feels close to him today. That is just so like him to surprise me with His perfect love, in the most perfect way. I feel alive and in love.

Isaiah 55:1-3
“Come all who are thirsty, come to the waters; and you who have no money, come, buy wine and milk without money and without cost. Why spend money on what is not bread and your labor on what does not satisfy? Listen, listen to me, and eat what is good. And your soul will delight in the richest of fare. Give ear and come to me; hear me THAT YOUR SOUL MAY LIVE.”

Lately.

Well, here we are. Like I said, I am taking 19 hours this semester. Who knew one could be so educated? Although my course load is heavy I absolutely love my classes. I have never been so intellectually stimulated in my life, as far as in the classroom stuff goes. Life is just so funny. My birthday was on September 1, and I decided to come home to be with my family. The birthday honestly wasn't my favorite, as birthdays go, but I endured it and am not really expecting holidays to breeze by without experiencing the pain that each of them will be marked with. In my family's best effort to celebrate we went to three forks and requested a table for, Hooper, party of four. I hate the number four. Five is such a better, more full number. Don't you think? Scott didn't feel well and had to leave the table, and my mom's lobster wasn't cooked correctly and I found us in the middle of a dinner that was trying so hard to make the obvious pain secondary but failed. The pain triumphed and surfaced. And there we were, the four of us at three forks, wanting our number five. The next day was the 2nd. The 2nd of September, that marked the sixth month that my precious daddy has been with Jesus. Can you believe that? It has been half a year. I cannot. All of these numbers really mean nothing to me because they don't change anything, or fix anything, or make anything feel better or worse. But it is strange none the less. I have good days and bad days, and in the midst of whatever day it is or has been, the Lord embraces me, carries me, and moves me. I trust him in his leading me, loving me, and protecting me.

Enough about me, I had been hesitant to write about this but I feel like you all should know kind of what is going on in the other Hooper's lives. My oldest brother, Scott, had been engaged to a young lady named Allison, and their wedding was to be next weekend. After a lot of working through stuff, they have decided that marriage is not what they need to do right now. Scott has experienced a lot of emotional heartache and it is just one of those things that you want so badly to help in the healing but you don't really have the answer or cure all for that kind of hurt. We love him and pray for him, and he is not alone. Scott and I were talking last week about everything and his trust in a most sovereign God is real and comforts his little heart so perfectly. We love Ali, and we love Scott, and we want God's best for the both of them and if that isn't each other than we wait with Great EXPECTATION at what the Lord has in store for them each. Please pray for his mind at work; as Scott's paradigm and world have been ripped to shreds, he is still at my dad's firm which is more or less in their hands. I cannot imagine how hard and unbearable some of his days must be. I love you Scotty...... SO MUCH!

Todd, my other adorable bubby, is doing great. He completed his masters in accounting in May and moved back home to be with my mom. Todd is picking up work at the firm with ease, and is enjoying being in the daily company with his brother and best friend again. Scott and Todd are so funny together. Anyways, Todd and Scott sit for the CPA exam soon and are studying like crazy (or should be), so please pray for their brains, that they would retain the information that seems lost in their college text books.

Mom is hanging out with her Zeta sisters from college this weekend. She is something special. She is the nicest most patient woman in the world. Our house has been under reconstruction all summer and is finally starting to take on a normal feel, but is by no means completed. My mom and I are able to share in our sadness, and she always makes things just a little bit better. Her presence in my life is like the best blankey I have ever had. She is tailgating in Lubbock for Tech football games, traveling with her church trailer group "The Holy Rollers" , and stays very busy with her social life. The whole family is working out at Larry North and mom is doing great. We are all so proud of her. Her friends love her and include her and take good care of her.

Okay that is more or less the update. Oh yea, I almost forgot. After much prayerful consideration I have decided that after graduation I will be moving to New York. I am excited about being with the Vassars and the possibility of having another job amongst the people I will be going to church with. JR and Ginger Vassar are dear friends of mine. They have played an irreplaceable role in my life and growth in the faith. In January they moved to the upper east side and planted (still planting I would say) Manhattan Christian Church (http://www.nychristian.com/knowgod.htm). Check it out. and better than that PRAY For them. They are so obedient and sincerely love Jesus. I am challenged by them, each of them, even their little girl, who is only in first grade. I love you all and thank you for your love and encouragement. Blessings.............

it has been a while

Well... the business of life and that special craziness that always seems to accompany the fall is undeniably in full force. I am taking 19 hours of class, hanging out with the people that I am realizing in less than one year will no longer be just down the road and trying to get a job at Starbucks. I not only need your prayers but I am so grateful for your love. It overflows from every person around me. My house is one of love, and my friends find me in the depths and help me walk. I am going home tomorrow and cannot wait. I will write more this weekend but I just wanted to check in. Love you all, Kimmy