Saturday, December 31, 2011
New eyes for Christmas
We did our Christmas last night. It was pretty cool. I appreciate so much that we read the Christmas story before opening presents. It is an awesome Christmas tradition! I feel really blessed by everything I received! I feel like these are all things I will use! I love them all! I think this Christmas has been one of the best! I think it is mostly because of a change of heart. I would rather give and bless people then receive. Don't get me wrong I like to receive and honestly every time someone has given me something I have been extremely blessed. But to bless people is lots of fun.
For the first time in my life it is not about receiving but about giving.
I am so blessed! Everyone in my family has supported me in going to Thailand. How lucky am I to have a family who supports me in fallowing my dreams and God's calling!
I just wanted to share this with everyone. I can only say that I love Christmas. This year God showed me how to love and be loved! Isn't this so cool! God gave us the best blessing of all! It is just a plus that he came as a baby. Lets think about our savior and reflect him to others. Blessings and a HAPPY NEW YEAR!
That Terribly Awkward Wonderful Day
Here is the short of it.
I went to work. Work was ok. I found out one of my ear piercings was infected. I simply look up. Great, I think to my self. I go home. I check my email. I find out that there was a technological issue and i still need to raise 60% of my funds. I was literary in shock. What? That means that I have a long road ahead of me to raise funds. Great. I have already told a bunch of people i am almost done fundraising. Awkward. On top of all that I had nothing to care the infection. And now I have to go hang out with a friend, when I would rather be praying about all this stuff.
I can honestly say God was totally there with me in that time with my friend. She took me out to eat. It was free cookie night! And it was great to connect with her. She took me to the store to get stuff to care for my infection. That night God just loved on me.
After I told my support team the news they rallied to arms! My finical adviser looked into the paper work and within a couple of days I had a good bit less to raise.
Looking back on this day and time I could see that I was shaken. But I witnessed the love of God and his power! My ear is healed and money is coming in! During this time Psalm 23 was a great comfort. I want to live and trust in this psalm.
Psalm 23
A psalm of David. 1 The LORD is my shepherd, I lack nothing.
2 He makes me lie down in green pastures,
he leads me beside quiet waters,
3 he refreshes my soul.
He guides me along the right paths
for his name’s sake.
4 Even though I walk
through the darkest valley,[a]
I will fear no evil,
for you are with me;
your rod and your staff,
they comfort me.
5 You prepare a table before me
in the presence of my enemies.
You anoint my head with oil;
my cup overflows.
6 Surely your goodness and love will follow me
all the days of my life,
and I will dwell in the house of the LORD
forever.
May we choose to live and believe these verses! They are truth!
Monday, December 5, 2011
Listening Prayer
Thoughts of truth and love are always form Jesus. He will never condemn or hate on you.
The more truth you see or read from the bible the more you will hear.
God speaks to people in a variety of ways. Through pictures, words, feelings, and thoughts.
Everyone can hear God. It is just a matter of learning to recognize his voice. This takes time, just like learning how to hit a ball sometimes you will hit it right on and sometimes you will miss.
God uses your passion to speak to you.
God repeats himself.
Talk to God all day.
Blocks to Gods voice can be a wall in your heart. This can happen by wrongs you have done to others or wrongs done to you. Ask God. He will reveal the issue.
God does not give us guilt or condemnation. He corrects us lovingly.
Here are 3 ways t check what you heard:
- Is there any scripture contrary to what you have heard?
- Peace (is there a bunch of worrying, doubting, or anxiety?)
- check it out with some one else
God can speak through anything. He has used anything from the bible to the wind to a dog to speak to me.
Just try it! God loves to speak to us! He loves us! He wants to speak to us!
Rainy Days
One of the things I want to do when I go to Thailand is to bring children into the presence of God. I have no idea of how to do this. The other week my roommate told me her church is looking for Sunday teachers for the children, and that their curriculum is on learning on how to hear the voice of God. It is a paid position and there is training for the teachers! After thinking about it i sent in my resume.
Latter that week they sent me an email asking when I could go in for an interview. I prayed about it and asked God when. He said Tuesday at 11. Well I can't do that. I usually have to work then. I told them some times that would work for me. They then asked me if Tuesday would work because that is when most of the interviews are. I said I would check my schedule and let them know.
The next morning I prayed to God and asked him to make a way. I went in to work and found out that Tuesday I had completely off! Praise God! He loves to arrange are days and cares abut the details!
It has been amazing to watch the money come in for my trip. Here is how God is working!
On June 30 some made a donating to me of $130. July I received the official acceptance letter and was commissioned. At end of August I had received $3500. By the end of September it had doubled and by the end of October it had tripled!
During October I was also able to start a online program called TEFL. This program will and is teaching me how to teach English.
I also received the official amount I am supposed to raise. It is a little over $27,500.00.
On November 11 I found out that I only needed to raise a little over $5000. And just 3 weeks latter I found out I only need to raise a little over $4600! In a little over 6 months God has given me almost $23000! God is so amazing!
Thank you all who have given! Praise God for he is good! I love rainy days!
Friday, November 25, 2011
Are you in love?
Live your life like a much loved child.
How does a much loved child live?
A much loved child walks in the authority of that love. A much loved child walks in the power of that love. A much loved child is full of joy from that love. A much loved child is confident. A much loved child is bold. A much loved child worships freely. A much loved child can only give out of that love. Do you live like a much loved child?
In my mind I know I am loved, but not in my heart. Of course God loves me. I love God. But maybe I am not letting the full love of God fall on me....
1 John 4:16
And so we know and rely on the love God has for us.
God is love. Whoever lives in love lives in God, and God in them.
Wednesday, November 2, 2011
I AM: Word Up!
Tuesday, September 27, 2011
A Bubble Bath For My Soul!
Tuesday, September 20, 2011
A Blast for the Past!
Friday, September 9, 2011
The hobbit party
Tuesday, August 23, 2011
Not For Sale!
Thursday, June 23, 2011
Kite Flying
Kite flying is alot like life. You need a strong and heavy wind to get the kite up there. Sometimes the way up is ruff. There are unexpected twists and turns and sometimes crashes into the ground. But then there is that random time where you get it just right and the kite is flying high and smooth. Everything is perfect, you see what God is doing.
Yesterday was alot like that for me. I went to RMM (Rosedale Mennonite Missions), the program I am going with, to get my picture taken for some prayer cards. When I arrived I was told that my social security number had three other names under it. So I was like Great just another thing I need to worry about! Really God? Come on!
My Kite was out of control.
Then my mom called. We talked some and she said she had good news. She said that several were donating money to me. (I am not disclosing names cause this is the Internet.) A brother in Christ is giving me the funds of a chair that is going to be auctioned off and the puppet team at my home church is going to give their tithe money to me! Praise God!
At first my kite was struggling to reach that perfect sailing point. But then suddenly I was there flying high and smooth.
God showed me through that wonderful news, that nothing was going to keep me from Thailand. Nothing! This Social Security number problem is simply a wrinkle in the sheet! Nothing will keep me from completing Gods plan, his story!
The crazy thing about this all, is that I don't have any credit to steal, and none of my money is missing! God is keeping everything safe! Man do we serve a good God or what!
Kite flying is Awesome! It can be hard, and all I can say is that we will all go through hard times, but God's plan will never fail!
I leave you with Jeremiah 29:11.
"For I know the plans I have for you," declares the Lord," plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future."
Each one of you are part of God's story and his story would not be complete with any of you. My this truth set you alive with confidence and boldness. May You grow to love the writer of this story. Amen.