Well, there isn't a wonderful story today that has a deep meaning.... ha. But there are a few minor things to report:
- I finished reading Acts and now the Lord wants me to read 1 Corinthians. Read chapter 3 and MAN, am I getting alot already. Of course... it's the Word.
- I miss my friends. A whole bunch. But I'm continually learning how God is my friend.
- I really really want Chickfila. And I'd cannot wait until I don't have to pay 10 dollars for a carton of ice cream.
- I have been fasting from Facebook and skype. I finish the fast tomorrow. I have learned so much- and I have had so much more time to be with Jesus. He brought me here to serve AS WELL as to love have a season with JUST Him.
- Currently, these two pieces have been speaking to me:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kmoJ0UsJ4Vo
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3nhcTllJgIY
- God has been teaching me that I need not think about the future b/c every moment I dedicate to the future, I am rob of the present. THIS is the door He has opened for me. And I am living in it. Though I am very curious, and slightly anxious about the future, I know God will take care of me. Period. And I don't want to look back on my time here and have any feelings of regret.
- The Bahamas Methodist Conference is having a council retreat next week which means... I'm going to Nassau! How fun! I'm excited to get away for a few days...and then....when i return........
- Keri and Alison will be coming the next day!!!!!!!! YAY!!!! Right on time. I need this visit. And He knew it. I pray we will all have a refreshing and unforgettable time.
- Tonight at youth we are watching my favorite movie: The Book of Eli. I am STOKED. I pray that the kids would see all the Jesus that is wrapped up in it.
Ok, I think that is it for now. =)
Saturday, November 13, 2010
Tuesday, November 2, 2010
Kit-Kats
This evening I had the privilege of babysitting Molly, 7, and Will, 5. These kids have strawberry blonde hair, wonderfully green eyes and precious freckles, perfectly placed on their faces. I was babysitting them because it was their parent's anniversary. During our dinner, Molly started to explain the gift they had prepared for this special occasion, consisting of a poem, a drawing, and two kit-kats tied together. Molly, very proud of her composition, read it to me multiple times and, in the process, teaching Will to read "his parts" too. Both were very excited about these gifts that had been thoughtfully prepared to give to their parents.
At one point Molly spoke about her beloved Halloween candy, saying, "Kit kats are my favorite. It is very hard for me to give these up!"Will held the candy, beaming, so excited to give his parents this ingenious gift. It was at that moment, gazing at the face of this precious 5 year old, that God spoke to me....
.... to these kids this candy was the best of their world. It was the best they had to sacrifice to give to their parents. But they did so, gladly. They did not take into consideration where it came from or how it came to be theirs, all they knew was that it was indeed theirs.
From their parent's perspective, there would be no element of surprise by this gift. In fact, they were the ones that took them trick or treating to get this delicious treat. Without them, Molly and Will would not even have this candy. And even though the gift itself will probably not be a big deal to the recipients, the love behind it will mean the world. Because Molly and Will gave Mommy and Daddy the best of their world today: two kit kats.
Now I know you can see the symbolism, but I cannot help but continue. Everything and anything we give God was given to us BY HIIM in the first place. Everything. There is nothing we cannot give Him that is not already His. Whew. That is an intense thought. Let's unpack it even more, shall we?
One of my favorite passages in 1 Samuel says that God does not look at the outward appearance as man does, rather at the heart. God does not necessarily see what we give Him, it's already His. But, it is HOW we give it to Him. Where is our heart in giving to Him? It's His anyways... why do we not give Him more? Give Him everything?! Man....
Two kit kats. That's how I learned about the Lord today. Two people celebrating their marriage of 8 years, two kids who love those parents enough to give them their most prized possession, and two kit kats.
No proof reading- sorry....It's now 23:22. ha... bed time. I love you Father.
At one point Molly spoke about her beloved Halloween candy, saying, "Kit kats are my favorite. It is very hard for me to give these up!"Will held the candy, beaming, so excited to give his parents this ingenious gift. It was at that moment, gazing at the face of this precious 5 year old, that God spoke to me....
.... to these kids this candy was the best of their world. It was the best they had to sacrifice to give to their parents. But they did so, gladly. They did not take into consideration where it came from or how it came to be theirs, all they knew was that it was indeed theirs.
From their parent's perspective, there would be no element of surprise by this gift. In fact, they were the ones that took them trick or treating to get this delicious treat. Without them, Molly and Will would not even have this candy. And even though the gift itself will probably not be a big deal to the recipients, the love behind it will mean the world. Because Molly and Will gave Mommy and Daddy the best of their world today: two kit kats.
Now I know you can see the symbolism, but I cannot help but continue. Everything and anything we give God was given to us BY HIIM in the first place. Everything. There is nothing we cannot give Him that is not already His. Whew. That is an intense thought. Let's unpack it even more, shall we?
One of my favorite passages in 1 Samuel says that God does not look at the outward appearance as man does, rather at the heart. God does not necessarily see what we give Him, it's already His. But, it is HOW we give it to Him. Where is our heart in giving to Him? It's His anyways... why do we not give Him more? Give Him everything?! Man....
Two kit kats. That's how I learned about the Lord today. Two people celebrating their marriage of 8 years, two kids who love those parents enough to give them their most prized possession, and two kit kats.
No proof reading- sorry....It's now 23:22. ha... bed time. I love you Father.
Monday, October 11, 2010
Training Ground
Wow... Where can I begin?! Yikes. I have been learning so, so much.
1. We MUST praise. Praise Him when you are overwhelmed with love, when your cup runneth over. Praise Him when it's hard, when you can't see the blessings, though they are there. A wise man (Phillip Hanes) once told me that he wakes up every morning and tells the Lord "God, today my life could change completely today. And if it were so, then You would still be the same Good God you are right now." We must praise Him for who He is and how much He has blessed us in this moment. Because let me tell you: we ARE blessed.
Thank Him for the ability to walk. Thank Him that we have taste buds so we can experience yummy foods. Thank Him for the water we can drink so freely. Thank Him for how we can fall asleep comfortably. Thank Him for how we have a Bible we can read anytime. Thank Him for the ability to thank Him! Praise.
2. Yesterday morning, in between the two services, I went a couple houses down from the church to visit Aunt Moriah. For those who don't know, she is 89 and extremely hard of hearing, but as precious as they come. While I visiting, God told me "this is your training ground." I have NO clue where that came from, or what that even means. But hey, I'll take it! I do know that God is always preparing us for the next step, the next season. And I am so blessed to have Him teach me so much for the next step, whatever that may be! We shall see.
3. When you fill your heart with the Word, you are reminded of it when you need it. There have been a few occasions where the Spirit has whispered passages like "love keeps no records..." (1 cor 13) or "love genuinely" (rom 12) or "judge and be judge..." (somewhere in Matt.. =)
But how terrific is it that the Spirit helps us recall these refining words in times where they apply.
4. I miss everyone. Alot. But it is so good to be able to pray so much for those I miss. So please, let me know how I can pray. Please. It's part of my responsibility as your sister, and definitely in this season where I have a heart of solitude to focus on the needs of my family.
5. I'm learning Creole. Two of my kids are teaching me. And they are excellent teachers, and they tell me I am a good learned. Again, we shall see.
I think that is all for now. Seek Him and you will find Him when you seek Him with ALL your heart.
1. We MUST praise. Praise Him when you are overwhelmed with love, when your cup runneth over. Praise Him when it's hard, when you can't see the blessings, though they are there. A wise man (Phillip Hanes) once told me that he wakes up every morning and tells the Lord "God, today my life could change completely today. And if it were so, then You would still be the same Good God you are right now." We must praise Him for who He is and how much He has blessed us in this moment. Because let me tell you: we ARE blessed.
Thank Him for the ability to walk. Thank Him that we have taste buds so we can experience yummy foods. Thank Him for the water we can drink so freely. Thank Him for how we can fall asleep comfortably. Thank Him for how we have a Bible we can read anytime. Thank Him for the ability to thank Him! Praise.
2. Yesterday morning, in between the two services, I went a couple houses down from the church to visit Aunt Moriah. For those who don't know, she is 89 and extremely hard of hearing, but as precious as they come. While I visiting, God told me "this is your training ground." I have NO clue where that came from, or what that even means. But hey, I'll take it! I do know that God is always preparing us for the next step, the next season. And I am so blessed to have Him teach me so much for the next step, whatever that may be! We shall see.
3. When you fill your heart with the Word, you are reminded of it when you need it. There have been a few occasions where the Spirit has whispered passages like "love keeps no records..." (1 cor 13) or "love genuinely" (rom 12) or "judge and be judge..." (somewhere in Matt.. =)
But how terrific is it that the Spirit helps us recall these refining words in times where they apply.
4. I miss everyone. Alot. But it is so good to be able to pray so much for those I miss. So please, let me know how I can pray. Please. It's part of my responsibility as your sister, and definitely in this season where I have a heart of solitude to focus on the needs of my family.
5. I'm learning Creole. Two of my kids are teaching me. And they are excellent teachers, and they tell me I am a good learned. Again, we shall see.
I think that is all for now. Seek Him and you will find Him when you seek Him with ALL your heart.
Thursday, September 30, 2010
It's now my turn
Wow.... I have so much to be thankful for. God has been showing me so much the past two days. I've been reading 4 books: The Bible (all over, especially in Isaiah), Radical- David Platt, The Hiding Place- Corrie Ten Boom, and a social justice book for my youth. I have been learning about missions and truly being committed to the Lord. As amazing as it has been, I have seen that I have a long way to go in my heart. Lots of surrender.
In Radical, Platt talks about how we take certain verses of the Bible and say "yeah that applies to me" or "not so much me"... for example, in Matt 28 when Jesus calls us to make disciples of all nations, some people say "that's for others." But other scripture, like Matt 11:28- "Come to me, all you who are weary and heavy laden..." we say, "that's me!"
AHH! What a crazy thought. I do that far too often. Do you?
He also talks about making disciples... and I have been so encouraged on this topic. I have been blessed with an amazing women who has discipled me for years now. Her name is Ms. Charlotte. And I love her. She has taught me how to follow Christ in all areas of my heart and lie. And I am starting to understand why the Lord has called me be a youth leader: it is now my turn to make disciples. And, Lord willing, that is what I fully intend to here in Hopetown.
The Hiding Place is captivating (ps- my wonderful mentor was the one who gave me this book...) I woke up at 4:57 this morning and got so excited because I could read it again. An hour later, I figured I should try to sleep again, but feel asleep praying that I would continue to learn from this women's testimony.
Fun little happenings today:
1. I officially weathered my first tropical depression here in Hopetown.
2. I went for a run and ran in more puddle than on dry ground.
3. The Lord gave me a big laugh: this past week I have been rationing out my toilet paper carefully b/c I was running out. And sure enough I got to the end of my roll this morning. As I went to the bathroom this afternoon, of course forgetting that I needed to go get tp, I was horrified when I realized my predicament, but it was too late. But at that same moment, I glanced over from my throne to the bottom shelf in my bathroom and saw a pack of toilet paper I had never laid eyes on! I laughed out loud so hard. God is so good, provides everything I need... His time=perfect. =)
4. I met the oldest woman on the island- she is 88 and her name is Aunt Mariah. And I have fallen in love.
5. I decided that I will be talking about hands this Sunday for my message and on the walk back from praise band practice, God showed me a precious girls hands who had gotten dirty from helping her daddy with his work....umm... yeah. EXACTLY what I am talking about. Affirmation, check.
6. Talking to my sister everyday is a blessing. I love her. I have decided she is my oldest and newest best friend.
I am in love with Jesus. That's all.
For the rest of the evening I will be popping in my seasons of I love Lucy and having a gay 'ol time laughing with my Savior and Friend.
Keep praying for my family, and dad.
In Radical, Platt talks about how we take certain verses of the Bible and say "yeah that applies to me" or "not so much me"... for example, in Matt 28 when Jesus calls us to make disciples of all nations, some people say "that's for others." But other scripture, like Matt 11:28- "Come to me, all you who are weary and heavy laden..." we say, "that's me!"
AHH! What a crazy thought. I do that far too often. Do you?
He also talks about making disciples... and I have been so encouraged on this topic. I have been blessed with an amazing women who has discipled me for years now. Her name is Ms. Charlotte. And I love her. She has taught me how to follow Christ in all areas of my heart and lie. And I am starting to understand why the Lord has called me be a youth leader: it is now my turn to make disciples. And, Lord willing, that is what I fully intend to here in Hopetown.
The Hiding Place is captivating (ps- my wonderful mentor was the one who gave me this book...) I woke up at 4:57 this morning and got so excited because I could read it again. An hour later, I figured I should try to sleep again, but feel asleep praying that I would continue to learn from this women's testimony.
Fun little happenings today:
1. I officially weathered my first tropical depression here in Hopetown.
2. I went for a run and ran in more puddle than on dry ground.
3. The Lord gave me a big laugh: this past week I have been rationing out my toilet paper carefully b/c I was running out. And sure enough I got to the end of my roll this morning. As I went to the bathroom this afternoon, of course forgetting that I needed to go get tp, I was horrified when I realized my predicament, but it was too late. But at that same moment, I glanced over from my throne to the bottom shelf in my bathroom and saw a pack of toilet paper I had never laid eyes on! I laughed out loud so hard. God is so good, provides everything I need... His time=perfect. =)
4. I met the oldest woman on the island- she is 88 and her name is Aunt Mariah. And I have fallen in love.
5. I decided that I will be talking about hands this Sunday for my message and on the walk back from praise band practice, God showed me a precious girls hands who had gotten dirty from helping her daddy with his work....umm... yeah. EXACTLY what I am talking about. Affirmation, check.
6. Talking to my sister everyday is a blessing. I love her. I have decided she is my oldest and newest best friend.
I am in love with Jesus. That's all.
For the rest of the evening I will be popping in my seasons of I love Lucy and having a gay 'ol time laughing with my Savior and Friend.
Keep praying for my family, and dad.
Tuesday, September 28, 2010
I finally gave in..
So here I am. I finally gave into these bloody blogs... I guess I deemed it as a matter of practicality, seeing as how I live out of the country now. And there are so many things I want to share with people about what He is doing in my life and in my heart... so, yes... I'm gave in.
For those of you who happen upon reading this that haven't connected with me in a while... I am now living on a tiny island called Hopetown in the Abacos in the Bahamas. This beautiful (and I do mean beautiful) place is where the Lord has called me to serve as a youth and family leader for St. James Methodist church this next year of my life. And what a blessing it has been- and I've only been here for 2 weeks.
It has been quite the transition... going from living in a place with 20+ people in college (FSUWesley), then living with my TEAMeffort family over the summer 24/7 and coming back to work with another family known as "office staff" and then coming to this place, living by myself... needless to stay, it's a little different. But I have been overwhelmed by the kindness of these 400 people or so that live here. I think it's pretty safe to say that the amount of meals/food that I have received in the past 2 weeks FAR out way the total of food that has ever been given to me during the course of my life thus far. Ha! And not just any food, Bahamian food, which, I have come to realize is quite delicious.
I thank you, anyone has said but just one small prayer to the Lord on my behalf, because I feel them. All of them... they shower over my heart and soul daily, and it is when I stop and spend time with Him does He remind me of the prayers of His children. So thank you, truly.
I'm sure I'll be writing more on this thing later... I imagine this is how some people feel when they gave into facebook. ha! But I am honored to share with anyone willing to read about how the Lord is moving, because He is surely moving here.
Please, please pray for hearts to be open to His move. And pray that I have discernment as to how to convey His messages to them. And pray for my family- my mom and dad- that family. =)
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)