*purity*

The Lord blessed me in a BIG way this weekend. I slept 3 hours on Friday night, after I finally came down from my high of writing a song with Steven, performing it during the offering, and then doing a set for afterglow with Steven. The intern girls and Jenny went to see Valentine's Day the movie. I LOVE my girls. I woke up at five, Leslie picked me up to go to Starbucks before our Rise garage sale that will hopefully be sending us to Lanai for a retreat in March. I got a coconut chai tea latte and it tasted like summer :) I helped set up the garage sale, then Whitney walked over (she lives next door) and told me I needed to be at the church by 730 to help load everything up for the junior hai purity retreat. YIKES. So we clamber into the Man-U-V and head to Hope. We prepared, prayed, kids arrived, and we headed out, the boys Upcountry to Uncle Pat's property and then the girls to conquer the road to Hana to Ka'enae. 20 girls total! We stopped at a gas station to air up my tire in the death star. It was almost completely flat. Then Jesse's van wouldn't start. Then Whitney's van wouldn't start. It was unreal. Satan totally didn't want us to go. So we prayed and got everything jumped, and aired up and good to go. The girls in my van were completely precious. We talked about boys, and how sick the surf was on the North Shore (one girl had her face pressed up against the window she wanted to surf so bad). The drive was spectacular. Winding roads, hugging the edges of majestic mountains with the ocean licking the shore next to us. It was a dream. Until one of my girls got sick and we had to assist her. ha! The retreat house was nestled in between palm and coconut trees. We left the windows open the whole time we were there and it rained when we fell asleep. The sessions were amazing. I mean, I expected to learn some things, but I am floored by the Lord at the things that come out of those girls. Whitney had me lead worship the whole weekend so I was able to connect with a few of the girls simply by taking them aside in our free time and singing together. I am so inadequate. I felt insecure around those girls, they are intimidating! But I can't imagine the depths of God's power and how he used all of us leaders there. Man. We went on a gorgeous hike to a little lake that's overflow from the ocean. I have pictures I hope to put up soon. That's when I had some solid conversations with a couple of the girls. They are so wise and curious and honest! God totally broke my heart for their hearts! And seeing Whitney lead them, and I was challenged by the other leaders: Jesse, Angela, and Alex. We prayed together and answered sex questions and hard things about boys, and relationships, and what it looks like to live set apart lives that are pure and holy. Basically, it was legit. And I adore those girls. And they are so uplifting and wonderful. I mean, they are struggling. But it was such a blessing to be used by the Lord in their lives.

I had the best quiet time ever this morning. I watched the sun rise on a stone wall overlooking the ocean. And read Hosea 6:3

"Let us acknowledge the LORD; let us press on to acknowledge him. As surely as the sun rises, he will appear; he will come to us like the winter rains, like the spring rains that water the earth."

I pray God's peace and hope would fill you up abundantly today. Oh how he loves us. He is everything. Righteous. Holy. Perfect. I am pressing on to acknowledge Him.

Reese

Also, I hunted, retrieved, and cracked open a real coconut for the first time this weekend :)