Daily Posts...
Tuesday, April 17, 2007
Quote of the day"A strong person stands up for him/herself. But a stronger person stands up for others"
Monday, April 16, 2007
Possessions..."I place no value on anything I have or may possess, except in relation to the kingdom of Christ. If anything will advance the interests of the kingdom, it shall be given away or kept, only as by giving or keeping it I shall most promote the glory of him to whom I owe all my hopes in time and eternity."
David Livingstone
Friday, April 06, 2007
The Purpose of PainPain and suffering are our greatest teachers. Often it is the only way that God can get our attention. If there is one difference between the I of today and the I of the past it would be this; pain. Through feeling pain and seeing the suffering of others I have become who I am; I have been tempered and seasoned into a sense of greater wholeness. Therefore I look upon pain as an instrument of divine grace, not something to be shunned, but something to be embraced.
Tuesday, March 27, 2007
It Comes Down to TrustThe search within is often a fearful journey, but one that is necessary nonetheless...teach me to trust
The path is unknown and this is what is most frightening...as I embark into the unknown may I always depend on your sustaining presence and loving grace...teach me to trust.
I cannot make this transition on my own. I cannot travel this journey as the lonely traveler...teach me to trust.
I cannot help but to look to the future with great anticipation and expectation for reasons I sometimes cannot explain...trust.
It is a journey that is worth taking because within this journey lies the power of transformation, renewal, revitalization, and rejuvenation...just trust in Him.
One can have all the knowledge in the world, but if that knowledge is not put into action in some manner then it will succumb to nothing, mere thought, like a bird stuck in a cage, never given the opportunity to spread its wings and fly...trust in Him.
How do I even begin to start the journey that I must take? How do I begin walk the path that will keep me from falling off the side of the cliff? Of this I am uncertain. But I know one thing, and this one thing has grappled with my very heart. If I don’t start walking this path and start soon, then my walk will soon become a crawl and soon I will cease to move forward...trust.
There is so much more to this life than I have taken hold of. What blessing awaits those who walk diligently in Your ways... sometimes it feels as if I have taken a side route, walking alongside Your blessing, seeing it to my near right, but never laying hold of it. I want to get back on the right track, where is the trail that leads me there? It is as if I am wandering aimlessly in the forest, hearing my Your voice echo through the trees, yet I am unable to find the path that leads me home...the trees are too thick, too hard to navigate. The sun is not shining bright enough to see where I am going, and the winds often blow so strong that I can no longer hear. I feel as though I cannot navigate this dreaded forest as the chill of the darkness closes in around me...trust in Him.
I am amazed by those moments when out of the frustration comes a whirlwind of peace. When confusion turns into clarity, and despair into joy. It is as if suddenly the aches deep within cease and the burning of unexplainable feeling of stress are vanquished. I love those moments, for I know that it is within these moments that You begin to pour into my life, relieving all fear. I certainly cannot explain how or why such moments come about, but I am thankful that they do. It is these moments that become the fuel for carrying on in the journey...you can trust Him.
I don’t believe in coincidences, but in Your sovereignty, so may I take comfort in knowing that Your are guiding me in the right direction...place your trust in Him.
Sometimes the journey can be messy, but at least I can have the confidence in knowing that amidst the messiness You are there...trust Him.
Sometimes there are so many questions and not enough answers..trust.
I am unsure where all of this is going, unsure of what the future may hold...but I will trust.
Be still and know that He is God. Trust.
Wednesday, January 31, 2007
Exciting timesFor a while now I have been struggling whether or not I should seek out the opportunity to go on a missions trip (particularly Africa), it has just been something that has been tugging at my little heart. Upon coming to Vanguard this semester I discover that they are planning to send a missions team to Africa this upcoming June. Now what do I do? Shall I go, shall I not. I basically had myself going crazy! I felt this is what God was calling me to do, but once again my feet were planted firm I was seriously doubting about going.
However, God is faithful even when I am not, and I have been affirmed more times over this past week concerning purpose, obedience, and listening to God's still small voice. God has certainly opened up the door of opportunity, one that I had been praying for, yet one that I was about to slam shut again.
Not this time though. The door has been open and by the grace of God I am taking a step of faith right through it! This will be my first mission trip experience and I am excited about what God has in store. I am going to help bring change, but I am going to be changed. It shall certainly be a life-changing experience.
Here are some of the details. We are leaving on the 9th of June and will be gone for around 4 weeks. First destination; a village in Nairobi. Part of the ministry here will be to help paint an all girls school. After our first week of ministry we will be travelling on bus for 7 hours to Moshi, Tanzania. Here will will be helping to build a youth shelter as we continue to share the love of Christ through our ministry. It is here we will stay until we are ready to return home. One of the very exciting things about this trip is that from day one we will be actually living with the villagers in their homes. It is going to be quite and experience, but exciting and amazing nonetheless.
So now the fundraising begins, as does the preparation. Please keep me in your prayers as I take this journey into a new horizon. Oh that we may be blessed by the work that God is already doing among the people of Africa, and become fellow workers in his great plan, to become part of his global workings. It is a privilege!
Tuesday, January 16, 2007
Quote of the day....Learn it, love it, live it.
Learn it (chew on the Word)
Love it (gain the conviction)
Live it (manifestation)
Amen and amen.
Sunday, January 14, 2007
The Will of ChoiceI was recently reading a friend's blog post concerning making choices and it really stirred something up inside, and I say Amen! Over the past several months understanding God's call and uncovering God's will has been a major theme of my life that has brought me thus far to Vanguard. So many things have been running through my head!! How do we know God's will? How will God reveal it to us? When he does reveal it will we hear it, "he who has ears, let him hear." Or will a flood of frustration and doubts cause us to second guess? To keep searching for an answer when the answer may be right in front of us?
Will we hear his voice in a sudden theophany with sounds of thunder so that it becomes a drastic, life-altering, I-know-for-sure experience? Will there be hand-writing on the wall or will a man or woman of God bring us a message, an unexpected message from the One who holds the blueprints of our lives? Maybe, just maybe, one night we will dream of that perfect will and wake up with a sense of purpose, or have someone else interpret the dream for us? Will we need a life-changing experience, good or bad? Do we need an angelic visitation bringing glad tidings and a copy of the map for the rest of our lives?
Or do we simply need open ears so that we may truly hear, an open mind that we may truly understand, an open heart so that we may truly trust, and a soul that yearns to become God's partner in His redemptive purposes for a fallen generation?
Sometimes it seems oh so complex. But many times we make it that way ourselves, at least I know I do. Looking for the voice of God in the storm when His still small voice is whispering in the silence. Making God's will something that seems so hard to discern, and when we think He is not answering because of all the noise in our lives we take it to mean "no, this is not God's will for my life."
Our lives are full of choices, some major, some minor, yet all the same we have choices to make. Sometimes it is scary, and because of this we often want God to take the responsibility by giving us a clear-cut, eye opening, and deafening answer. But what if God simply says, "You choose"? I think that sometimes God leaves the choice in our hands. God made us in His image, and that included having intellectual capacities. He granted us the gift of free will, God made us that way. Sometimes I think God simply wants us to use this God-given ability to His glory and take the responsibility of making certain choices. Whether we choose A,B,C or D God is saying, "I love you and I will bless your choice my dear child." Sometimes over-spiritualization can prevent us from living in the joy of the Lord and claiming that blessed life that God has so graciously laid before us.
"All things work out for the good, for those who love God and are called according to His purposes."
If He says "you choose" don't be afraid or confused, you serve a loving God.
It's the Will of Choice.