Thanksgiving

Have you ever had an experience where you just can't do anything but thank God for how He's kept you from making big mistakes? I had this experience yesterday, and while I'm not going to share why I had this thought (because it has to do with some people I care about very much), it made me realize that living within the boundries God sets for us is ALWAYS the best thing. I tell teenagers this truth all the time trying to protect them from the consequences that come from living outside of His boundries, but it's very seldom that I step back and take a good look at my life and thank Him for the blessings of keeping me safe. That's where I am right now. I've always been a pretty good kid. (I know I'm not a kid anymore, but a girl can dream, can't she?) And I've been pretty good at following rules. But yesterday what I realized was that it was not me following the rules that has kept me fairly consequence free in my life, it's been God in me...leading and guiding me in making decisions that honor Him and lead to life rather than death.  

Not growing up in the church has made me all the more thankful that God pursued my heart when I was 16 years old.  And looking back there are a ton of instances I could point to where I was moments away from making some really big mistakes.  But God is good and if we are willing to consider HIs plan before our own, He will keep us from making those mistakes. And in the end we can look back and be thankful! 

Blessings and confirmation

So, I think I've already mentioned that I'm going to Africa this summer as an intern with Back2Back Ministries. (You can check them out at www.back2backministries.org). This was a pretty tough decision for me because I'm the type of person who really wants things spelled out before I take any kind of a leap. With this one, it was more of a quiet nudging by the Holy Spirit over the past year to be more globally focused. As I've journeyed through this nudging, however, I had no idea where it was going to take me. I've been going to Mexico with B2B now for 4 years and I suppose in my small brain I just assumed that whatever God was doing He was going to lead me to Mexico. But as I followed the leading I felt more and more of a burden for Africa on my heart...and I really have no idea why...the extent of my knowledge before January was what I have seen on TV. I had never researched what was going on in Africa or how I could even begin to be a part of it. Even the child I sponsor through Compassion is on this side of the world in Ecuador.
And yet, Africa just kept coming up. So I threw up another prayer and filled out an application with B2B to spend a month there this summer. And within a week I had heard back that I was accepted and if I still wanted to do it, I was off to Africa. After that phone call came the initial excitement...and then the initial fear. Excitement because God had answered a prayer and I was being offered the opportunity of a lifetime. Fear because in order to make it happen I'd have to raise almost $3,000...more than half of which would have to be raised by the end of March so I could buy an airline ticket.
Now, understand that when you work at a church, you don't want to just walk around asking people for money...especially when your church is going through a huge capital campaign and the economy is not at its best. So, I began praying again for a confirmation that I was really supposed to go on this trip. Well, as of this week, I am excited to report that God has confirmed it. I have over half of my support raised and I honestly did not ask one person to support me. It is so cool to see God working and confirming what I've felt in my heart for some time.
I cannot wait to get to Nigeria and find out what God really has in store...and how I can be a part of His amazingly huge plan for His world.

Warfare

In my bible study today (we are studying Esther by Beth Moore) I ran across a statement that has stayed with me all day. "Because Satan has a limited leash where believers are concerned, his most powerful tactics are psychological. Though he can't possess our minds, he profoundly and destructively influences our thoughts." I had just finished talking with a good friend about this very thing when I read these words.

I have had a tough few months. After having surgery in October for a torn tendon in my ankle, I thought I had dealt with adversity. But when my doctor told me in mid-December that he'd have to go in and do it again because the tendon had re-torn, my spirit was broken. It's bad enough to be on crutches for 6 weeks and then endure 6 more weeks of rehab with the hope of recovering fully and getting back to normal life. But then to find out that I had to do it all over again was a blow that I was not ready for. Now it's 6 weeks into the second recovery and I am still in a bit of a funk. Life just seems harder when you are physically hurt.

What I didn't see until today, and I'm thankful for my friend's words of encouragement and discernment into the issue, is how much room I've given the enemy to play with my mind. For those of you who don't know me, I am a perfectionist and I can get down on myself when things don't go right. I am also very analytical and I try to figure things out and find answers for life's toughest questions. The problem is that there are some questions that don't have answers...or at least the answers require understanding past what we as humans have. And what God asks is that we just trust Him even when times are the toughest.

God has given us strategies to combat negative thoughts. He tells us that we should take every thought captive and make it obedient to Christ (2 Cor. 10:5). He tells us not to conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but to be transformed by the renewing of our minds (Romans 12:2). And He assures us that when we bring our junk to Him in prayer with thanksgiving that His peace, the peace that passes understanding, will guard our hearts and our minds in Christ Jesus (Phil 4:6-7).

Now those are promises that I can hold on to. Those are promises that make me feel like I will make it through this or any other trial that comes my way. I am thankful that I have a friend willing to speak truth to me and walk with me through some difficult times. And I am thankful that I have a God who is so particular and involved with my every day that He would reinforce a specific truth spoken by a friend with perfectly placed words from a bible study for me to read today.

Nigeria Bound!!!

So, it's official! I'll be spending a month this summer in Jos, Nigeria! I am both nervous and excited to begin preparing for what I'm sure will be one of the most amazing and stretching times in my life. I am not sure about all I will be doing while there, but the main thrust of Back2Back (the organization I'll be going with) is the "care for today, hope for tomorrow" for the word's orphans. I have been taking my high school students to Mexico with this ministry for 4 years now and have loved every minute of it. And I will have the opportunity to head to Mexico for one last time in June with my students before I head off to Nigeria for a month.

I feel completely blessed for many reasons...one of which is my church, Horizon, has agreed to give me the month off so that I can have this experience. Who does that?

Right now I'm having a hard time putting into words the way I'm feeling. It's actually kind of surreal to think about going that far from home and having the opportunity to participate in God's kingdom work on another continent.

I'm sure I will post more as I process the idea of going and how God prepares my heart for this trip. For now, pray with me that the funds I need to make the trip will come.

Snow Days...and other random thoughts...

Today was a snow day. So was yesterday. It's funny how that happens at least once or twice per year in Cincinnati. I am not good with snow days because I'm not good at sitting still and being "locked in." Typically I put on my snow gear and head out into the white death looking for something fun to do. Not this year. This year I'm stuck because I'm still in a cast and on crutches from my recent ankle surgery. Nothing says "America's Funniest Home Videos" like crutches on ice. So, I decided to save my body (and my ego) and stay inside the last two days. The problem is, it's been really hard allowing myself to get quiet and just be still.

In Scripture it says, "Be still and know that I am God." I really wanted to do this over the past few days. But I can't say it happened for too long. Lately, something about being really quiet and listening for God has been tough. It might be my current predicament. I really am not worth all that much after a month of not being able to run or work out or do anything athletic. I think I've come to realize that as my stress reliever. But still, I know the only place I can find the LORD and His complete attention is sitting quietly at the foot of the cross.

And so this is where we all must go...to really hear our LORD. And isn't it nice that every so often He provides us with unique opportunities...sometimes even forced opportunities...to meet with Him. And when we do, we are able to forget about the day and all the mess that is going on in our lives and just remember what life is really about.

Thank you Jesus for a snow day...a day where, although I didn't use it to it's fullest, was still able to help me to connect with you!!

Gator Nation

So, I know it's been a few weeks, but I want to give a quick shout out to my Florida Gators for winning the national championship, yet again! I can't tell you how excited I've been about their success. And I can't tell you how impressed I've been with Tim Tebow, who has not only proven himself to be a force in college football, but has also proven that he can do it with integrity and a pure heart. I thank God for his witness and for the lives he's impacting on one of the biggest stages in our nation.

It's great to be a Florida Gator!!!

The Lord's Boot Camp....really?

Last night there was a special on CBS called "The Lord's Bootcamp." It was a documentary on 3 teenagers as they attended this summer program called The Lord's Bootcamp, which was intended to prepare them for missions. I only caught the last half of it, but I can't say that I was impressed. It doesn't surprise me to see that the media made these teenagers look a bit like nutjobs, but I think what bothered me the most was the approach of one of the teens. In this particular mission, the teens were trying to give a survey to people at a county fair in hopes to stir up a conversation about faith. However, this 13 year old girl was telling people they were going to hell without Jesus and that they should accept Him right now. True? Yes. Effective? Probably not. This girl, and this mission had no intention of listening to someone's story and really walking with them. At one point, she got into a conversation with a Mormon girl and her mom and essentially told them they were wrong in the 3 minute conversation and then proceeded to push the girl into accepting Christ as her savior, never stopping to ask the girl any questions about who she was or about her story. And then when the girl walked away, with a pamphlet in her hand (which probably ended up in the next trash bin), this 13 year old turned, pumped her fist and said, "I got another one." As if she was hunting and just shot another deer.

What makes me so frustrated about this is that it was broadcast on national television, where many people were able to reinforce their false ideas of what it means to be a Christian and share faith with others.

In Matthew 28:19 Jesus says, "Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the aname of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you." I really do believe in order to make a disciple and to teach them what God says in his word requires relationship. It requires more than a survey and someone pushing Jesus on someone else. Jesus never pushed himself on anyone. He simply was who he was, loved as he loved, and shared truth with the people around him. He offered himself up as a servant.

Why can't we do it the way Jesus did? Why can't we just walk alongside and serve our neighbors and share with them as we walk why we are serving? Why can't we simply love?

I want to challenge anyone reading this in regards to two things. If you are a Christ follower, how do you share with others? Are you able to love them into the kingdom? And if you are not...what is your idea of a Christ follower? How has that been reinforced and does it look anything like Jesus?