adventure in the unknown: September Adventure {part five} {last day in Austin}

I did not want to wake up Sunday morning. I was tired, and just not ready for the best slumber party ever to end.

Mama kho came into my room, and snuggled with me. I'm pretty sure she spoke sweet, soft words over me, and I vaguely remember drifting back to sleep.

And then.

Heaven help us.

The smoke detector started blaring. Apparently the bacon was causing a bit of smoke, and was intent on waking every sleeping soul for miles. I went from dead asleep to climbing over kho, grabbing pillows, flailing about, moving the smoke away from the detectors, and assuring everyone that it will all be alright in about 9 seconds.

This is verrrrrrry normal behavior for me. Every single time I cook or bake at my house, I have to grab a throw pillow, and flail about until the smoke detector goes off. I have the oldest and crankiest appliances. But I know that my smoke detectors work great. I can also tell which of my friends have been over for dinner enough, because they now know the "grab a pillow" dance while I cook.

Annaliese captured this beautiful picture of my pillow/smoke dance. #iwokeuplikethis

Once the excitement settled down, I made myself a cup of coffee, and then grabbed some of the delicious breakfast Melinda had made, and sat down for out last coop meal.

I then got ready for church/the beginning of the end. Which included packing everything up, tidying our room, and of course lots of tears. At this point in the week, I was over showers, so my hair was not really looking it's best. #dirtyhairdontcare

We went to church at Austin New Church, which is Brandon and Jen Hatmaker's church. It meets in a middle school cafeteria, and it immediately felt like home.

I rode over with Melinda, and of course we had to take a pic next to this sign.

Melinda and I sat in the second row, so we were quite close. Worship began, and the first song we sang was "God of this City." I was sobbing as soon as the first chords were strummed. I had just recently left the church I had been at for 25 years, and was really beginning to feel this huge pull towards a new place. I just didn't know where that was yet. This concept that He is the God of Austin, TX and Clarkston, MI and Pontiac, MI and Cochabamba, Bolivia, and Venice Beach, CA and Tokyo, Japan and so many other cities were my heart was, just bubbled up inside of me, and completely overwhelmed me. Every time I visit a new church, I just get so giddy and emotional at the fact that any where I go, people know my Jesus. They know Him, worship Him, and preach Him. Sometimes it looks a little bit different, but we confess the same truths. Ahhh. I just love the Church. She is not without flaws, but she is so beautiful.

Something that was a little different for me, was that Jen preached. I grew up very conservative on this issue, and so it was my first time ever hearing a woman from the pulpit. Man, oh man. She brought it. It was sooo good. She did call us all out, and said it looked like a sorority house up in there because of the increase in women in the congregation.

She spoke on being little.

"...greatness has very little to do with goodness..."

"(The disciples) wanted the crown, not the cross, same as us. They were asking the question of the ages, 'How can we be bigger?'"

"Jesus calls us ... not to be childish, but to be childlike"

http://www.austinnewchurch.com "God, make us small 9/6/15"

After the service, we just all kinda hung out, not ready for big goodbyes. I was standing near Jen, and she started talking to me. She asked if I was headed home that afternoon. I laughed, and joked, "Your 3 hour party has turned into a 15 day trip for me." So she looked at me, and told me, "You go, you travel, you be Jesus wherever you are, and you love well. You are completely unattached! Go enjoy the freedom that comes with it! I'm so excited for you! Go!" She is so lovely. Golly. It is so good to be known and be loved.

Jen photo bombing Lauren, Erin, and I.

After church, we went out for Tex-Mex, because #whenintexas. One of my ftl girlfriends saw my posts on social media earlier in the week about my amazement and confusion over the Texas Homecoming Mum. So she brought me one from her daughter's collection. #bless And apparently this isn't even a big one. What. In. The. World.