In October of 2010 God had layed on my heart that He wanted me to start praying about taking a mission trip. I had been on two in the previous year but really felt like God was leading me to pray. So I began to pray. Through much prayer God lead me to go to Malawi, Africa with CrossChurch in March 2011. God did amazing things in and through our team. We were able to serve and see around 200 kids at a pediatric medical clinic and serve the kids and waidows of Esther's House.
What I did NOT expect was what God would do in the life of my dad through this trip! During a conversation with my dad about me going on this journey to Malawi, my dad said something to the effect of "I can see what your doing is God's work." He then proceeded to give me a financial gift towards my Malawi trip. That was definetely encouraging. But it was during the rest of my preparation for the journey to Malawi that I saw God continue to change my dad's heart and during this time frame that my dad was saved!
With Father's Day being just a couple of weeks ago and the 3 year anniversary of my dad's exactly a month from now...I've been reflecting on this a lot. I'm so thankful for the eternal hope that there is in Christ, the power of prayer, and how God works in unexpected ways!!
Friday, June 27, 2014
Sunday, May 18, 2014
hope
over the last couple of months:
- there are people I know who have lost loved ones
- there are people I know who have been diagnosed with cancer
- I have failed miserablely at doing this thing called life
But the beauty of it all is that there is hope. there is hope for the believer that one day Jesus will return again and we will get to live where there is no more mourning, no more crying, no more pain and we will get to live in a place where He is making all things new (Revelation 21:4-5)
but that hope is for the believer. if you do NOT know Christ as your personal Lord & Savior please feel free to message me and I would love to share with you how can have the hope that the believer has!
I leave you with the following song that has spoke to me in times of brokeness in all that is around me...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pze4kMuvcfk
- there are people I know who have lost loved ones
- there are people I know who have been diagnosed with cancer
- I have failed miserablely at doing this thing called life
But the beauty of it all is that there is hope. there is hope for the believer that one day Jesus will return again and we will get to live where there is no more mourning, no more crying, no more pain and we will get to live in a place where He is making all things new (Revelation 21:4-5)
but that hope is for the believer. if you do NOT know Christ as your personal Lord & Savior please feel free to message me and I would love to share with you how can have the hope that the believer has!
I leave you with the following song that has spoke to me in times of brokeness in all that is around me...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pze4kMuvcfk
Malawi bound in September for two weeks
I am going to attempt to start blogging again; especially in the next three months as i prepare to go back Malawi, Africa in September. by the way that's only 113 days away, 2712 hours away, or 16 weeks away. in short NOT very long!
I am beyond excited that the Lord has called me to go back! But at the same time I am so nervous so please be praying for me!! Please also check back here from time to time with updates on how trip preparation and for other trip details.
click on the following link to view pictures of the other two times that I have gone to Malawi (both trips three years ago)
http://flipagram.com/f/zblZMr4TR8
I am beyond excited that the Lord has called me to go back! But at the same time I am so nervous so please be praying for me!! Please also check back here from time to time with updates on how trip preparation and for other trip details.
click on the following link to view pictures of the other two times that I have gone to Malawi (both trips three years ago)
http://flipagram.com/f/zblZMr4TR8
Sunday, December 22, 2013
"God is with us"
I hear the phrase "God is with us" every year at Christmas and don't usually stop to think about what it really means. A few weeks ago at church my pastor talked about it. And it dawned on me (i'm not sure why it did for the first time) that because God came as a baby 2000 years ago, He is ALWAYS with us.
Another thing that has happened recently is that I have learned of several people who have been diagnosed with some sort of cancer, some who have lost loved ones in the recent months, one who has had a stroke, and one who had such a bad heart that he needed to have a heart transplant (which praise God he had the transplant on Monday night and is doing very well!!.) My heart has been absolutely heartbroken that all these people are having to suffer all because sin entered the world through Adam and Eve. And because of that sin that entered the world through them, we suffer. My heart and soul have cried out, "That's NOT fair!!!"
"Yes my child I know how you feel but I AM with those who are suffering," God has told me over and over! Because Christ entered the world as a baby 2000 years ago, God is with us. He is with us in the good times and He is with us through the suffering, whatever form that suffering may take on.
I pray that you are encouraged this Christmas by the fact that because God entered the world through a baby years ago, that we have hope because God is with us! And if you are going through a difficult trial (whatever that looks like for you) remember that God is with you if you just believe Him to be your Savior and King!!
Another thing that has happened recently is that I have learned of several people who have been diagnosed with some sort of cancer, some who have lost loved ones in the recent months, one who has had a stroke, and one who had such a bad heart that he needed to have a heart transplant (which praise God he had the transplant on Monday night and is doing very well!!.) My heart has been absolutely heartbroken that all these people are having to suffer all because sin entered the world through Adam and Eve. And because of that sin that entered the world through them, we suffer. My heart and soul have cried out, "That's NOT fair!!!"
"Yes my child I know how you feel but I AM with those who are suffering," God has told me over and over! Because Christ entered the world as a baby 2000 years ago, God is with us. He is with us in the good times and He is with us through the suffering, whatever form that suffering may take on.
I pray that you are encouraged this Christmas by the fact that because God entered the world through a baby years ago, that we have hope because God is with us! And if you are going through a difficult trial (whatever that looks like for you) remember that God is with you if you just believe Him to be your Savior and King!!
Monday, July 22, 2013
God's conviction for me tonight: I AM REDEEMED
You know those days you go to church (or nights at smallgroup) and are wanting excpecting God to say something to make you feel better about whatever you may be facing in the moment but you're not expecting/asking God to have you hear what He wants you to... I was found guilty of that tonight going into smallgroup. I was expecting that God would make me "feel better" about some stuff going on in life. Did that happen? NO!!! Did God cause me to hear what He wanted me to hear & learn. YES!!
Tonight we talked about standing our ground in the Gospel. We talked about "hot topics" that we typically face in life/work that are difficult to stand our ground in. At the end our speaker encouraged us by saying, "There's freedom in standing on the truth of the word of God." We slighty diverted and talked for a few seconds about what it meant to be free in Christ. One of the guys in the group summed it up very well by quoting Romans 8:1 (which says "There is therefore now no condemnation for those are in Christ Jesus.") Ya'll this verse hit me like it never has before. I am free in Christ because I am no longer condemned because of my sin. I am free from condemnation because of His mercy and grace. May I never forget the weight of this truth!! May I start afresh today (and NEVER forget) & live in the comfort that I live in true freedom in having Christ live in me. As further encouragement go listen to Big Daddy Weave's song Redeemed.
Just something that I felt like I was supposed to share with ya'll!!
P.S. I was also convicted tonight about in order to be able to stand in the truth of the word of God that I need to be a better student in learning what the word of God says.
Tonight we talked about standing our ground in the Gospel. We talked about "hot topics" that we typically face in life/work that are difficult to stand our ground in. At the end our speaker encouraged us by saying, "There's freedom in standing on the truth of the word of God." We slighty diverted and talked for a few seconds about what it meant to be free in Christ. One of the guys in the group summed it up very well by quoting Romans 8:1 (which says "There is therefore now no condemnation for those are in Christ Jesus.") Ya'll this verse hit me like it never has before. I am free in Christ because I am no longer condemned because of my sin. I am free from condemnation because of His mercy and grace. May I never forget the weight of this truth!! May I start afresh today (and NEVER forget) & live in the comfort that I live in true freedom in having Christ live in me. As further encouragement go listen to Big Daddy Weave's song Redeemed.
Just something that I felt like I was supposed to share with ya'll!!
P.S. I was also convicted tonight about in order to be able to stand in the truth of the word of God that I need to be a better student in learning what the word of God says.
Tuesday, July 16, 2013
Things God has been doing in my life recently
Almost two weeks ago, I was rear-ended while sitting in traffic. My car didn't even suffer a scratch! It wasn't until two days later that I realized I got a very minor concussion in that minor wreck. My seat-belt had jerked me back & caused me to hit the back of my seat really hard. My thought was " duh, I have a headache..I just hit my head really hard! But two days later when I still had the headache & I realized some other symptoms I had had..I realized it was a minor concussion..not fun at all!!
But as in all things, God has used this for His glory. Just as I was knocked in the head physically that day, God knocked me in the head spiritually that day. Recently for my quiet times, I've been going through the Jesus Calling Devotional book (which if you haven't gone through it...I highly recommend it!!!) & the thing that has stuck out to me the most is looking for God's presence & all that He is doing in my life. I soon realized that I was missing all that God was doing in my life. He was answering one prayer that I had been praying for almost a year, He was in the process of answering one that I had praying for since this last October, & that He is the process of answering one that I've been praying for over the last two years. In short, the Lord was (& still is) at work in my life!
The Lord is also teaching me patience (& waiting on His timing) & the power of seeking Him with all of my being (Jeremiah 29:13). I plan on sharing more of what the Lord is doing in upcoming posts but until then (& after) I encourage you to seek the Lord & presence AND you'll find He's doing more than you can imagine in your life.
But as in all things, God has used this for His glory. Just as I was knocked in the head physically that day, God knocked me in the head spiritually that day. Recently for my quiet times, I've been going through the Jesus Calling Devotional book (which if you haven't gone through it...I highly recommend it!!!) & the thing that has stuck out to me the most is looking for God's presence & all that He is doing in my life. I soon realized that I was missing all that God was doing in my life. He was answering one prayer that I had been praying for almost a year, He was in the process of answering one that I had praying for since this last October, & that He is the process of answering one that I've been praying for over the last two years. In short, the Lord was (& still is) at work in my life!
The Lord is also teaching me patience (& waiting on His timing) & the power of seeking Him with all of my being (Jeremiah 29:13). I plan on sharing more of what the Lord is doing in upcoming posts but until then (& after) I encourage you to seek the Lord & presence AND you'll find He's doing more than you can imagine in your life.
Monday, March 18, 2013
on the power of God's love & friendships
Something that the Lord has pounded into me a lot recently is His love for me and the power of His love. I've known that He loves me so much that He gave His only Son to die for my sins. But the love that I'm talking about goes beyond that. He loves me so much that He cares about the day to day stuff that happens in my life. i wonder how He could love me so much a weakling. then there's the song Cornerstone (click on word Cornerstone to listen to the song) which explains it to me. part of the chorus goes "Christ alone/Cornerstone/weak made strong in the Savior's Love." we sang this song on Sunday at church (and have many times before in the past) and it hit me. I am weak but I am made strong in Jesus' love for me. It is in His power/love that I am able to accomplish, overcome, go through anything. this is the primary way we as humans are able to accomplish.
the other tool the Lord gives us is friendships.God created friendships because He knew we could not do this thing called life on planet Earth alone. From the very beginning in Genesis God saw that it was not good for Adam to do life alone so He created Eve. I am convinced this is why He created friendships so that we are not alone in accomplishing this thing called life on planet Earth. Can I just give a shout out right now & say that I am blessed beyond measure by the friendships God has placed in my life!!
Giving me ways that I can accomplish things in the power of His love has been a blessing because it makes me realize that I am truly blessed by earthly friendships and it helps me know that I can accomplish when it doesn't seem possible.
Thankful for what the Lord is teaching me!!
the other tool the Lord gives us is friendships.God created friendships because He knew we could not do this thing called life on planet Earth alone. From the very beginning in Genesis God saw that it was not good for Adam to do life alone so He created Eve. I am convinced this is why He created friendships so that we are not alone in accomplishing this thing called life on planet Earth. Can I just give a shout out right now & say that I am blessed beyond measure by the friendships God has placed in my life!!
Giving me ways that I can accomplish things in the power of His love has been a blessing because it makes me realize that I am truly blessed by earthly friendships and it helps me know that I can accomplish when it doesn't seem possible.
Thankful for what the Lord is teaching me!!
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