A month ago, I boarded a flight bound for California. It was the first time I had returned to California since arriving in Ireland in November of 2021. I was VERY excited to see my family, to watch my niece play soccer for the first time and to watch my nephew play baseball as I have for his entire childhood, to eat really good Mexican food and shop at Target, to be in the same time zone as my friends and within hugging distance of my sister.
A weird thing happened when I was talking about this trip. I had hesitation to say I was going “home” to California. I wasn’t sure California felt like home but I’m not sure Greystones felt like home yet either. The things I described above are not physical places except for Target 😊. I miss people, my most beloved people and they happen to be in California. But I missed Greystones too. I missed my Nazarene church family dearly. I missed big hugs from Bev on Sunday morning, squeezing the cheeks of Riadh and Eagen as they grow before our very eyes, I missed dinner with the Stephens and Sunday school with our older kids. Home has always been people to me, not a place.
The week before I left for California, I preached about comfort and prayer. Home is a place of comfort as well, where people are warm, welcoming, and safe. Greystones has been all three of those things. God, the Father has always been a place of safety and home for me as well. Wherever he is, especially when it’s his body of believers, I feel at home. I was blessed to visit two church families while I was in California and each of them is home. Church of the Nazarene Greystones is home too.
Spending time with my Gateway Friends Small Group |
Celebrating my birthday with my family in Calfirnia! |
| What Am I Reading, Listening, and Watching? |
What I’ve Been Reading:
Beth Moore’s memoir: All My Knotted-Up Life
Mama Beth, as one of my favorite podcasters, calls her, is characteristically open and vulnerable while describing honestly her childhood and rise to notoriety. Highly recommend.
What I’ve Been Watching:
The Chosen
My Thursday morning Bible study ladies decided to start watching this incredibly well-done series together and discussing the Scripture each episode is based on. As a student of film, I am routinely skeptical of Christian media, but I assure this series is compelling and well-executed.
What I’ve Been Listening to:
Brandi Carlisle’s entire discography.
A dear friend played Carlisle’s The Story as her first dance song at her wedding over a decade ago. I rediscovered her catalog a few months ago. The Joke, Right On Time, and The Mother are some of my favorite tracks.
| Pray with Me |
Thank you so much for holding me and my ministry up in prayer each month.
Praise:
- A most excellent vacation in California, with uneventful travel and almost constant time with my family.
- A few ladies stayed in my house while I was away and I’m grateful for their care of my home.
Requests:
- Inevitable homesickness as I came back to Greystones after having all access to my family for three weeks.
- The driver’s license journey continues, please pray for endurance, and focus as I take driver’s lessons and tests.
- Our upcoming Holy Week events at the Naz, that God would be glorified.
- Our continuing efforts to build a youth program.
All my love and prayers,
Molly
Spanish 
English (United States)