I Believe

This summer, 26 states—about 53% of the US—were declared natural disasters because of drought, the largest in US history.  About 8% unemployment continues in our nation.  Twenty states have petitioned to secede from the union.  Earthquakes strike in unusual places—in some regions, more than 6 times the norm.  Fires, floods, hurricanes, tornadoes . . . natural disasters have increased 400% in the last 20 years. We’re in a global economic crisis. War rages between Israel and Gaza and across the Middle East.  1 in 7 people of the world are hungry, and 1 in 3 children are malnourished.  Persecution of Christians is escalating, up 400% in the 10/40 window of the world.  And it’s even touched our little town of Buhler, Kansas, where we are being forced to remove the cross from our city seal.

What is a person to do in the wake of such upheaval?  Well, that depends.  Christians are believers, so we have an advantage: we anchor our souls in faith. Belief determines action.  So . . .

I believe . . . that in the face of disasters, our loving Father will keep His promises. Many times His Word tells us that even in drought, those who care for widows and orphans will be well-watered. I expect rain.

I believe . . . that if we watch and pray, we will, in Jesus’ words, “be counted worthy” to escape the
worst of what is coming to this earth, and we will be able to stand before the Son of Man.  (Luke 21:36) Not that we are worthy, but His worthiness counts for us. Even at that, it’s not sloppy grace.  Vs. 34-35 We’re warned not to be weighed down with self-indulgence, drunkenness, or even the cares of this life, which blind us to the traps coming. We will only find our way as we seek our King.

I believe . . . that there is no other Name given to men by which we may be saved.  It’s no surprise that Christians and Jews are the most persecuted people on earth.  The forces of evil recognize the hand of God on our lives—and the imprint of the Christ-child living in us.  From the manger, to the cross, to the grave, to the right hand of the Father, Jesus has made a Way for anyone who will call on Him. Soon—very soon—even those who hate Him and His people will bow the knee and admit that He is Lord.

I believe . . . that until that Day, a seemingly small, ragtag band of followers will continue to turn the world upside down as the destiny of hurting people is changed forever by love.  And when He comes, we’ll be revealed as the glorious church God knew He could produce against all odds!

I believe . . . that family is one of the greatest blessings on earth.  Below you'll find news about what’s happening with mine.

And you are a blessing to us, as well.  Tracy and I wish you a very Merry Christmas, filled with what truly matters.  If we can serve you in any way, please contact us.      
                                 
Much love,

Becky

 

Sara and Danny are still in Petersburg, VA, where the children are in Christian school.  Judah (2nd grade) loves creative writing and drawing—and often laughs out loud at his work. Nora is in K-4, a leader in her class, and comes home with new songs every day. Silas is in K-3, loves learning, and can really carry a tune.  All the children love to worship, like their parents who are on the worship team at Destination Church.  Their worship band has been playing at area events, and they just recorded their first album. Sara still does hair, and she’s on the electoral board in Petersburg.  Danny is assistant manager at Lumber Liquidators and still works part-time at the State Anatomical Program at the mortuary in Richmond.

Polly and Josh are still raising their crew in Haven, Kansas.  MacKenzie is a 4th grader, Ethan is a 3rd grader, and Savannah is in 1st grade, all at Pleasantview Academy.  Polly is still driving the school bus that the kids take to school, and Josh is still with Dillons.  They’re growing in the little Baptist church God led them to in Haven. They stay busy with sports, but we manage to meet up when we can—most often when we’re shopping at Wal-Mart!  We’re so thankful for the joy we see on these precious faces!

Jeri moved her little family to Arlington, KS, for a few weeks, but she decided they were better suited for life in dairy country in New York, so they’ve returned there.  Junior is 8 and Luressa is 5; they are the two children in the back row. (The other three in front are Ashley and Brian's.)  Jeri's older children, who a dear family adopted a decade ago, are now 12 and 10, and we trust God’s care over all of them.

Nathan and Diana still live a block and a half from us, and they continue to bless everyone at Sunshine Meadows Retirement Community as head of maintenance and charge nurse, respectively.  Diana is enrolled in the RN program at Hutch Community College in January, and she’s been taking some preliminary classes online.  They recently moved the children to Buhler schools, where Gabe is in 5th grad, Caleb is in 1st, and Jordan is in preschool.  Gabe’s playing trumpet now, and both boys are in basketball.  Our youth group continues to grow under their loving leadership, and Pastor Nate is still on our praise team at church.  He’s been free from addictions for 8 years now, and we are still full of gratitude for the Lord’s saving power in his life.

Benjamin and Amy are clearly still enjoying married life, having just celebrated two years together.  They both found jobs in Michigan, where Amy grew up.  She’s an xray tech at a hospital across from Southpoint Community Christian Church where Benjamin serves full-time as the Family Worship Arts Minister. Both of them are actively involved with the teens there. And they are expecting . . . a house!  Yes, ready to close on their first home purchase any day now.  We hope that the other kind of expecting will be the next big news.  Smile.  

Ashley and Brian just celebrated their first year of marriage, which includes welcoming baby Honor Able to the family just a couple of weeks ago!  He joins Ayden (almost 5), Alyssa (3) and Alex (2).  Brian has to be one of the proudest daddies I’ve ever seen.  He still works for Decker Mattison Heating and Air, and Ashley will look for a job soon.  Meanwhile, she’s enjoying the time at home with her little ones, all so precious!

Justin and Jessica just passed the five year milestone of marriage, and I love pictures like this one, showing their family doing things together.  Addisyn is six, and Nathan Wray just turned 2.  We know things have been tough for this little family, but they’re still hanging in there, and we’re thankful.  Each one is so important to our hearts!

Anna is a junior in high school, still homeschooling and taking a few classes online.  She’s playing basketball for the homeschool Sabres again, even though her team is quite small and will only play JV since they are relying on several junior highers to fill in.  Her favorite things are still artsy—scrapbooking, drawing, writing songs, playing piano, and singing.  I love having her on the praise team at church with Nathan and me!  Diabetes stinks; thank you for praying for her.  Of course, she’s thinking ahead to what will come after high school, and she’s leaning towards attending the Honor Academy, where Ben and Amy met.  The school of worship seems like a good fit, so we’ll see how the Lord leads in the next few months.

Tracy and I are enjoying grandchild #19—yes, you saw that right!  We absolutely love this stage of life and only wish we had more time with all the kiddos.  Tracy’s been a CNC operator at TSW Products for 17 years now, and we’ve had the bed and breakfast for four years.  We’ve met the most precious people!  I’m still providing lay counseling from home, and on Monday mornings, I’m teaching Daughters of Sarah (God’s plan for wives) to a new group of twelve amazing women.  

It was such a joy to have our oldest daughter Sara with us in Swaziland and Mozambique this summer; she’s a natural ministering to the women and children.  Jana Durham and Casey McMahan were also a wonderful addition to our team.  We left a big chunk of our hearts in Africa again!  And this time, we shared a lot more in the Word and in song—even three radio broadcasts and at graduation for the College of Theology, where we heard the king’s sister speak.  It’s not every day you eat lunch with a princess!  But prince or pauper, we want to be boldly obedient to the Holy Spirit’s leading!  And mostly, that means freely sharing what we have been given.  What a glorious life!  

Abandoned, orphaned, and vulnerable children in Africa are lost lambs. The Good Shepherd’s staff is grand enough to care for each one—through me . . .

 . . . and through YOU!

So the next couple of weeks we'll shift gears and prepare for some precious family time.  We wish all of you a very Merry Christmas and the happiest of New Years.  Troubles come, but Jesus is on His throne.

Praise His Holy Name!

Much love from The Spencer Family

Personal Freedom on Steroids

I voted.

Not nearly enough Americans did this year.

Those who did are divided almost in half.

So it's left about half of the voters disappointed, and many even afraid of the future.

What I have to say about that might upset some of the people in that camp.  But I can't be silent when my heart is so stirred.

Here's the thing: no human form of government will succeed long-term.  Not even a republican democracy.

It got off to a great start because freedom is God's idea.  When our forefathers wrote the Declaration of Independence, they acknowledged that His intent was that all people everywhere had the right to "life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness."

They went on to explain that they realized people would go through hardships, and that it was no light thing to resist their monarch.  But when a ruler overstepped the boundaries of what God intended for all people, they knew it was time to revolt.  So they listed the grievances they had against the King of Great Britain; there were 27 of them, and it wasn't just about taxation without representation.  You can read the long list here: http://www.archives.gov/exhibits/charters/declaration_transcript.html

Fifty-six men signed this document, signifying their decision to throw off the oppression suffered by British rule.  They were willing to fight and even die for the right to govern themselves.

Yet these men never indicated that a person should be free to do whatever he wanted. They knew that a lack of law would result in anarchy.  And the laws of the United States were carefully crafted to reflect a strong Judeo-Christian morality that honored the boundaries of the same God who had given rights to all men.

Fast forward through time . . . to a decade many of you will remember, just as I do.  The 1960's were a time of throwing off restraints.  Anti-establishment.  Free love.  Drugs.  War protests.  It was a generation of individuals who did the opposite of what authority expected of them.

And it wasn't only the young hippies who were protesting the morality of the age.  One woman rallied to remove prayer from schools, masses of women fought for liberation, couples swapped partners, and business leaders sold out to the Almighty Dollar.

A new chant was heard across the land, and even though it was worded to suit the group it came from, it meant one thing: nobody is going to tell me what to do--not even God.

So actions that were once illegal became accepted behaviors.  Sex without marriage resulted in unwanted pregnancies, leading to the legalization of abortion because people craved freedom without responsibility.  The natural progression of that kind of thinking brought us to the current battle being waged in states across our nation, which is the push to legalize same-sex marriage.

Dear ones, our God gave us commandments for our good, not to prevent us from having happy lives.  He created us, so He knows best what will result in blessed lives.

His expectations are wrapped in great love for us.  We get an idea what that's like when we give boundaries to our own children.  We teach them not to dart into the street or touch a hot stove or run with scissors in their hands.  We give them lessons on the consequences of lying or stealing or bullying others.  All because we want them to be okay, but we also want them to treat others in such a way that they'll be okay, too.  Physically, emotionally, mentally, and yes, even spiritually.

God's Word to us concerning sexual purity is for our good in all those areas.  Please bear with me as I explain something profound.  Marriage is a covenant before God, not just a legal contract.  Throughout history, covenants are sealed by blood.  Do you realize that couples are meant to enter marriage as virgins so that when the marriage is consummated, a bit of blood is shed to seal the covenant they've entered?

When we have sex before marriage, we're robbing ourselves of God's intent.

And it is something that can never occur between same sex partners.

Yet people are clawing to demand their rights, so sure that they know what's best for them--so sure they will find happiness if all restraints are cast aside.  It's turned into freedom at all costs, with no thought for how actions will affect other people or society at large.

It's a counterfeit that insists on personal rights without any correlating responsibility.

My generation is guilty of this.  I have been guilty myself.  We have put ourselves on the throne.

And our form of government has experienced what I believe was inevitable: it is failing because people are incapable of governing themselves apart from God.  The Bible tells us that in the last days, men will become more and more evil.  That will be true in every nation, even in this one that was the greatest one in history while it was truly under God.

We have re-elected a President that many people believe will lead our nation into greater moral decay and financial ruin.

That could well be.

But the truth is, those of us who are called by His Name have dual citizenship.  We uphold our responsibilities to our country, yet we realize that it will not save us.  It will go the way of every other power before it.

Our greatest responsibility is not to fight for our rights on this earth, as important as they are to the life, liberty and pursuit of happiness God intends for all.

No, our duty as Christians is to serve the King of kings.  One day He will come and sit on His throne, where He will rule righteously.  All will obey His commands.  Unity and peace will come to the earth.  Even the lion will lie down with the lamb.  Weapons of war will be beaten into plows.

He waits because He wants as many people as possible to find His love before it's too late.

If we allow ourselves to become overly entangled by the affairs of our nation, we will miss opportunities to reach others with His Good News.

What is that message?  Oh, it's one of ultimate freedom!  In Him, we find freedom to do what is right, not to be enslaved to the sin nature.  Freedom to live above self-centeredness so we can serve the needs of others.

I encourage you.   Ask the Lord which kingdom He wants to have first place in your mind, heart, and actions.

I believe it will move you from a politically dominant mindset to one of readiness for the coming King.


Yes, we must all continue to exercise our rights--and duties--as citizens of this nation, voting and speaking out for righteousness as God leads us.


But it is a matter of time before evil will win in the public arena.  We might be able to elect officials that will bring a reprieve, but if so, it will be short-lived.

It is for freedom that Christ has set you free.  In His Kingdom we will be free at last from everything that hinders us.  Free to love, free to worship, free to rise above the circumstances surrounding us to a place of joy.

And by faith, that Kingdom is already here.  Let's live in it.

Women's health.

Two words that are emotionally charged in this political climate.

This morning I read something on that topic that surprised me.  It might surprise you, too.

Because it's information that has been suppressed.

Even by those who claim to care about women's health.

* Did you know that studies show that childbearing decreases the risk of breast cancer?

Did you know that in 1975, less than one woman in 12 was likely to ever get breast cancer, and if she did, it was almost always late in life?  (At this time, abortion had been legal for only two years.)

But now, the odds have increased to at least one in every 8 American woman will be diagnosed with breast cancer--and the onset is much earlier in life.

Before abortion was legalized, some tried to warn that an increase in abortions would also increase the number of women who would get breast cancer.  But that warning was squelched.  And now the results are in.

How can a doctor, an abortion provider, or any organization claim to be so concerned with a woman's health if that information is hidden from women?

Here's another fact: the legalization of abortion has resulted in an increase of up to 35% more gonorrhea and up to 38% more syphilis.  Why?  Because it encourages reckless sexual behavior.

Again, are women being advised about this serious risk to their health?  Sadly, no.

This doesn't address many other physical risks to the mother, and it doesn't even touch on the emotional and mental scars that wound women who have had an abortion.

But the research is available to anyone who really cares about women.

That's all very clinical.

I have 18 other very good reasons I oppose abortion: they're named Judah, Nora, Silas, MacKenzie, Ethan, Savannah, Elizabeth, Andrew, Junior, Luressa, Gabriel, Caleb Maurice (Camo), Jordan, Ayden, Alyssa, Alexander, Addisyn, and Nathan Wray.  These are the precious grandchildren we've been blessed with so far.

 

 

Our next bundle of joy is due in a few days.  (I wish I had time to post more pictures of my honey darlin's!)

People have the right to vote the way they want in the USA.  I'm grateful for that kind of freedom.  Personally, I happen to believe the rights of the unborn "little women" are every bit as valid as the rights of women who are in their child-bearing years.

And I'm bothered that when it comes to the real issues of life, too often a big chunk of the story is left untold.

That leaves some people basing important decisions on half-truths--and even outright lies.

When you cast your vote next week--and I hope you will--please remember that women's rights are only part of the story.

Every right brings with it many responsibilities.

May God grant us wisdom.  And have mercy on our souls.

Will He--can He--give us more mercy than we have shown?







* Information taken from "Abortion in America," by Alan Sears, J.D., ESQ., Christian Counseling Today, Volume 19, No. 1, p. 25

Glue Is Better Than Duct Tape

Sept. 18, 1976

Don't Tracy and I look like babies in this wedding photograph?  We must have been.  I sure don't feel old enough to have already been married for 36 years.  

But 8 kids later, with 18 grandkids and counting, we're pinching ourselves to make sure we aren't imagining the whirlwind this life together has been.

May, 2008--we have lots more now and need a new picture!

We're celebrating today.  Not because our love has been perfect--far from it.  We've fought, clawed, and stumbled through a big chunk of this life together.  It's a mercy we even made it through the first year, much less through the struggles and temptations and shortcomings that followed.

We knew we didn't have much in common when we started out.  Basically, only Jesus.  And there were times we wondered if that would be enough.  

It was.

So, we're celebrating because Jesus has held us together like glue.    

That has been the fulfillment of this Scripture that was printed on the napkins at our wedding: "By Him all things hold together."  Col. 1:17  God took two separate, flawed, stubborn individuals and made us one.

Tracy and I couldn't patch up our marriage by ourselves. There wasn't enough duct tape in the world. We'd made too many mistakes.  We'd sinned and let each other down.  Not just once, but time and time again.  Only the Lord could do something deep down where the cracks and broken places cried for His touch.

That would be tremendous enough.  But what is even more amazing is that we actually like what He formed from our lives.  

Our marriage has become a safe place.  A place to grow.  A place to take risks.  A place to experience unconditional love.

And as we've grown together, we've been so blessed to find that our interests and delights have also merged. No, I still don't like to golf or sleep in a tent, and Tracy isn't going to use his free time to read a novel.  But we just like being together.  Sharing hearts and going to rummage sales and working side by side at our ministry fund-raisers.

July 27, 2012 with my brother Timmy Yates at his son Jacob's marriage to Bethany Goertzen.
Older, grayer, and more tired--but we're still smiling.

We went from being needy and self-centered to having something to offer one another.  It's mature love.  Not dependent on fading beauty or charm or what's in the checkbook.

It's not always fun.  Sometimes it's just work.  And a hard season can sure last a long time.  

When somebody sticks with you through all the icky junk, it can be out of a sense of duty.  But when that person also wants to wrap his arms around you and tell you he loves you when he's seen you at your worst, that's love.  When he reminds you you're still his best friend, that's love.  When he'd rather be alone with you than watch tv, that's love. The real deal.  

And those sweet words and actions re-ignite the flames of love, giving us the desire to stick it out because we love each other, not just because it's the "right" thing to do.

This morning I felt another Lover wooing me to come away with Him.  I have to admit, I felt a little bit like I had nothing to offer Him except my service to Him.  I felt like I could identify with the church at Ephesus.  They worked diligently for the Lord without growing weary.  They were patient.  They didn't tolerate evil-doers.   They recognized false leaders. Most churches would love to have people like that in attendance!  But Jesus said He had one thing against them: they had left their first love for Him. (Rev. 2:1-7)

His remedy for leaving their first love for Him was to remember how it used to be when He was everything to them.  Then to repent and do the first works they did back in those days.

I thought back to the early years of giving my life to Jesus.  I felt so alive!  I couldn't wait to meet with Him as I read His love letter to me (the Bible), sang praises to Him, and lifted my needs to Him.  My first works for Him were mostly just getting to know Him.  Spending time with Him.

And I was so needy--I was desperate for Him.

So this morning, I asked Him if He expected me to be that needy again.  It's hard to feel that way when He has been so good to you through the years . . . I'm satisfied and blessed.  

I was surprised to sense that He was asking for a more mature love.  Not one based on that old neediness that was all about what He could do for me, nor one that is focused only on what I do for Him.

But a love that realizes I have something to offer Him now, too.  That's shocking, but it's true.  He wants me. And He wants you.

Tracy feels my love for him most when I open myself to him.  Letting down the walls so nothing is hidden.  Trusting him with who I am.  Admiring him for who he is.

Is it possible that Jesus also feels my love most when I hold nothing back?  When I let Him see me, even though I know I'm flawed?  When I trust Him and admire the beauty of His character?

Song of Solomon is a picture of the love between a king and His lover.  From that story, I know something about the love of my King.  His love is better than anything.  I can trust Him when He wants to draw me away with Him.  I can take off my veil because He knows me better than I know myself, yet He loves me still.

Like Queen Esther, I can prepare myself for His presence by putting on what He has provided for me.  The oil of gladness.  Robes of righteousness.  Even ornaments of gold and studs of silver, which is like the wisdom gleaned from His Word.  My sweet perfume is the rising of prayers to His throne.  

He lets me rest under the shade of His protection.  He satisfies me with a banquet that is provided by His love.

I long for His embrace.  He holds the promise of spring and all it entails--life, fruit, blossoms, and singing.  He asks me to go with Him to a quiet place in the cleft of the rocks where it's just Him and me.  It's a place of belonging, where He is mine, and I am His.  

We're one. Held together like glue. It's a miracle of His Spirit, performed at the new birth and made stronger every time we come away with Him.  

Kim Jobe's song "The More I Seek You" says it best.  This version:

- Choreography: Edouard Lock 

- Ballet: La La La Human Steps
- This video made by: Birdiej89

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9YXygCLso9U

Getting There

This is the first post about our recent trip to Swaziland and Mozambique, Africa.  I'll do my best to keep them coming!  :)  

Tracy, our 16 year old daughter Anna, and I packed into the wee hours the night before we left, double checking our lists and crossing off each item that made it into the suitcases.  I’d started days earlier, but planning to be gone for an entire month still pushed me into last minute scrambling.  We were zipping up the bags with relief, looking forward to finally shutting our eyes for a few hours, when one of the suitcase zippers busted.

Panic set in. There are no department stores in Buhler, and we were too tired to drive into Hutchinson. Solution? Leave early enough to make a Wal-Mart run before our flights the next morning. So we fell exhausted into bed with our alarm set to roll us out in plenty of time and a prayer for grace that all the details would work out fine.

Our son Nathan picked us up and got us to the store in Wichita. We found a bag that would suffice, paid quickly, and suddenly realized there wasn’t room for it in the back of the Jimmy.  So we juggled things and held bags across our laps.  Hadn’t thought through to how long it would take to transfer all our stuff to the new suitcase, but with sweat beading on our backs, we finally crammed every item in, sure that we’d still have plenty of time to make our flight.

Of course, that didn’t take into account that the printer for the luggage was on the blink at check-in.  Nor could we have foreseen that the clerk didn’t have the correct information for what to do with an overweight bag.  I assured her that I could pay extra to have up to 70 pounds, but she searched through pages of documents to try to find the information herself.  She couldn’t see it, so she made a phone call and was on hold a long time.  Now we were really starting to sweat as minutes ticked away.

I could imagine how uneasy our friend and team member Jana must be getting since we hadn’t yet shown up at the gate. But the clerk wasn’t in a hurry at all. She was way too calm to suit me. I wanted to give her an injection of adrenaline.  I could have made coffee nervous by then! I kept looking at the time, wringing my hands, and biting my lips. Okay, and my tongue. I sure didn’t want to say anything that would make the clerk move any slower just to spite me!

She finally realized we were going to miss our flight, so she said she’d take my word for it and ran my credit card.  By then the printer was working, so she handed us our paperwork and shooed us to security, cautioning us that we had about ten minutes to make it.

Naturally, security was also stressful. They decided they needed to run my carry-on bag through twice and open it to visually check my powder supplements. My driver’s license fell behind a table—I didn’t see it happen, but thankfully one of the TSA employees did. I had to run to get to the gate. Jana was as antsy as I’d suspected she’d be. She’d texted our oldest daughter Sara, who like Casey from Texas, was meeting us in DC, so she’d called to find out what in the world was going on. But we made the flight.

Our flight in Houston was delayed, though. So when we arrived in DC, we didn’t even get to give Anna a proper goodbye or last minute instructions before leaving her for an entire month. Just a fast hug and a nod in the general direction of baggage claim where our son-in-law was going to pick her up. She was terrified that she’d get lost. I was worried that I couldn’t remind her about checking her blood sugars or taking good care of her niece and nephews for the month. We had to trust that the Lord would watch over all of us—and it had to come to us on the run.

Literally! We raced to the gate where Casey waited where all but one of the other passengers were already boarded. The clerk at the gate determined our carry-ons were too heavy, so those had to be checked. But at least we made it, once again. It barely registered that we’d hugged our oldest daughter Sara hello in DC, too, as she showed us where to hurry to our gate. We caught our breath, gave better hugs, and settled in for the final 18 hour flight.

Jana and Sara ready to catch up now that they live more than 18 hrs. apart--and would have 18 hrs. in the air!

We had an hour delay while fueling in Dakar, but it allowed us to stand up and stretch a bit. We got to know Casey a little bit better in between cat naps and shuttling to the airplane toilet. 

Casey and me with my infamous neck pillow

I read, watched a movie, prayed, and walked the aisle. And dreamed of what our journey would bring to each person on the team.

Yikes, Tracy and I started the trip already completely exhausted!  Not sure if the poor guy beside us was really into his movie or just couldn't stand our snoring.  Yep, we're mouth open sleepers. Ewwwww.

Because all the stress and rushing and near misses aside, our anticipation was intact. Getting there was just the first step in a month long journey that was filled with potential and the call of God on this team of five. We knew with everything in us that none of the trials of getting there would be able to take away even a tiny bit of the joy we would discover once we met the Africans, young and old, that He had planned for us to interact with.  We were ready for the unknown future because of the faithful God we know.

And I can see that our years on this earth are a lot like our flights that took us to Africa.  Filled with challenges, requiring patient waiting on others who might not share our sense of urgency, hurrying up to wait. Feeling like our interactions with loved ones are just a blur as we rush by because it’s going too fast.

Our lives are but a vapor, a grass that quickly withers. Hardships are guaranteed. But when we finally reach our heavenly destination, all of the struggles of getting there will quickly fade. And the unknown will lose every hint of fear because we know the King Who prepared for our stay.

Getting there is just the first step.

And so worth the trip.