Christmas in our spirit

      She grabbed my hand as I hugged her. Holding tight she said, "Thank you for remembering us and coming today! When we see young people coming in here and smiling at us, hugging us, listening to us and sharing your joy with us, it inspires us. It reminds us that we are not forgotten in here, that we are still important to people."

     She went on, "We're stuck in here day after day with no change and no visitors. Just the same thing every day. Few people care enough to come see us, let alone listen to us. We look at that and think, 'what do we have to live for?' Then we look at days like today, when visitors come just to hang out with us, and we think 'that's why we're still here. To bring inspiration to young people."

    This coming from sweet 90 year old Mary, at Turlock Residential Retirement home.

     As we wake every morning with joy in our hearts ready to face a new day, they wake with heavy hearts, facing another empty, depressing day. Separated from their loved ones, they spend their days playing Bingo and watching the hours tick by as they wait for visitors.

      They sit by the door hoping..waiting...praying for a visitor. The door opens. A warm pair of arms suddenly envelops them. Startled, they look up. Friendly eyes and a warm smile accompany the unexpected hug. You smile. They smile. You say, "Merry Christmas!" and spend the next hour talking with them.. or rather, lending them a listening ear. By the time you leave you have just made their day and completely transformed their spirits. 

     What does Christmas mean to you?  For me, it means having all the more reason to share Christ's love and joy with those less fortunate than me. This Christmas, I urge you to remember the elderly. Be the reason they smile that day. Show them what Christmas means to you.

  May the grace of our Lord be with you all! Merry Christmas!

                    

My cup is filled

For the past 11 years my family has had a "Thanksgiving tablecloth" upon which, each Thanksgiving, we write the things we are most thankful for that year.  As I reread the tablecloth on Thursday, I was struck by how far God has seen our family in the past 11 years.  He’s seen us through the ups and the downs, the disappointments and the excitements. He’s been with us through every memory we’ve made, all the laughter we’ve shared and each individual day since Thanksgiving 2002.  As I sat there pondering that, it got me thinking about all my favorite memories……..

Family movie nights while drinking hot cocoa by the fireside…

Bon fires in the backyard in summer (officially dubbed “bond fires” for the bonding that we do during those fires)

Yearly camping trips …

Trips to the beach and the “fun” that comes with them..
(For the record, I’m still the winner Shyloh! ;)

Family swim days..

       This list goes on forever, and with each memory I am reminded even more so of how grateful I am to be part of such an amazing family. While we don’t always get along, we always forgive. We’re not always patient, but we are always trying. We’re not perfect and by no means is everything peaceful, but one thing is sure: we are always family. Here in Neyville, the only that matters at the end of each day is the love we have for one another.  As I go to bed each night with dozens of “good nights” ringing through the house, I rest in the promise that no matter what may happen, I never have to face tomorrow alone. There will always be a slew of people at my side.

Yes, my cup is full. My God has filled my cup of blessings to overflowing and each member of this family (however ornery) adds to this cup and fills my heart with love and joy. 

 So what am I most thankful for, besides God, this year? My crazy and abnormal, fun filled family! <3

                                  

"I thank my God every time I remember you." 
Philippians 1:3

"For the glory of God!"

Random facts and questions

 

    My sweet friend Caitie from littlecaitie.wordpress.com recently nominated me for the Liebster blog award so I'm blogging this in response to her nomination. I've never heard of this award before today, but now that I have I'm exited to participate. The Liebster award is translated in German to something like "sweetest" or "kindest". It's a fun way to find new blogs to read and encourage fellow bloggers. Depending on which source you use, the rules will vary but in a nutshell it is basically a way boost audiences for new or small blogs. I answer 10 questions that Caitie asked me and give 10 random or odd facts about myself, then I nominate 5-15 blogs (or however many I follow) and leave 10 different questions for them to answer. This is kind of a fun way to get to know our fellow bloggers and for my readers to get to know a little bit more about me:) So here we go.....

Questions from Caitie:
1 // What is your goal right now? Hmm.. my goal right now is to draw closer to God so much so that people can no longer see me as an individual, but to look at me will be to see God in me.

2 // Random small pleasure? People watching..that can be so entertaining!


3 // Stripes or polka dots? Hands down polka dots! Especially white polka dots on red or royal blue:)


4 // Beach or mountains? Mountains all the way...love that pine scent and the woody scenery!


5 // What is your favorite Saturday morning ritual? Doing personal devotions around the kitchen table with the family

6 // How do you feel about calendars? I like them when they're not chaotic, lol. (I'm not too of fond of them when they are chaotic:)) 

7 // What is your favorite holiday tradition? Ooh.. writing letters to Jesus and rereading them while listening to Daddy read the Christmas story on Christmas morning!

8 // What countries have you traveled to? Trick question for me... I've "landed in" Turkey, South Africa, Senegal, and England but I've "lived" in Kenya and Zambia:)

9 // What is your favorite book? Definitely Hind's Feet on High Places (highly recommendable)

10 // What is your happiest memory? Oh, I would have to say that would be when I came home from Zambia last summer! <3

10 Random facts about myself: 
1. I love driving with my windows rolled down (I'm kind of a dog when I drive as I like the wind on my face, lol) 
 
2. I have always wanted to study astronomy and get a pilot's license.. and a plane:)

3. I have numerous adopted grandparents at the retirement home I volunteer at

4. I'm a tutor yet I stink at Algebra and geometry.. oxymoron I know, lol (I always tell people I can't do those subjects:)

5.I have a strange infatuation with shadows..they intrigue me for some reason

6. I'm a huge fan of poetry and British literature

7. I have friends in numerous countries in the world

8. When I was little I was so meticulous about how my bed looked that my sisters had to do "therapy" on me to cure me of that (aka...they wrecked my bed numerous times a day, haha). Needless to say, after that I'm "cured" lol.

9. It has been 2 weeks since I've worn jeans and prior to that it had been over 3 months (if you can't tell I'm partial to skirts:)

10. I've rescued and released dozens of sparrows and a pigeon (I've even helped raise a day old kitten)

Nominees: 
http://bustingagut.blogspot.com/ 
http://shhfamily.blogspot.com/ 
http://www.drawneartotheking.blogspot.com/ 
 http://shhkids.blogspot.com/

Questions for nominees: 
1.// What is your strangest habit?
2.// How has God moved in your life in the last year?
3.// What has been your greatest faith builder?
4.//  What's the craziest thing you've ever done in your life?
5.// What's your life verse?
6.//  What's your favorite vacation spot?
7.//  What's your favorite season?
8.//  What was your greatest life lesson?
9.//  What's your favorite book of the Bible?
10.//  What's your favorite song?


   Well, that's that! A few random tidbits about myself:) Thanks for reading this out of the norm blogpost. When you leave here check out the blogs I nominated. They're great reads!

"For the glory of God!" 

Reaching for the mountain

At a recent church retreat as I sat with tears in my eyes and burning heart, my Shepherd spoke to me.  In an experience I’ll never forget, He revealed Himself to me as my Shepherd (something I’ve known all along yet never experienced this way) and changed the way I think of life and faith. I see now that life is a journey of faith, a journey that He Himself is taking me on. The closer to Him I get the more I stumble and fall. I have fallen many times yet each time I am again humbled by the grace and compassion that my Shepherd extends towards me. 

     Talking to a friend I described it as this: “completed faith is like a distant mountain. We are always traveling towards it yet never reaching it.”   We are on a perpetual journey with our Shepherd and each time we stop and think, “At last I have arrived. My faith has never been greater!” that is when we fall. And we fall hard.  Why do we fall?  So that we can learn from our mistakes and humbly realize just how far we are from that mountain.  The stronger we think our faith is, the weaker we really are for pride is slowly seeping in and poisoning our faith. 

   My brothers and sisters, wherever you are in life, be you in the dark valley, along lonely seashores or on peaceful heights, NEVER GIVE UP! Continue onward in the face of present evils reaching always for the hand that strengthens our faith, for one day our King will return and on that day our faith will be complete in Him! Until then it is ours not to question the path He chooses or assume we are complete, but to hold tight to His hand and rest in the promises of our Shepherd. 

   "Take the first step in faith. You don't have to see the whole staircase, just take the first step"

-Martin Luther King Jr.

"For the glory of God!"

A letter to the ladies

   Dear ladies, 

  Every girl goes through that stage where she struggles with self confidence as she seeks to figure out who she is in this world. For some girls it is harder than others to find her way out of that, to discover who she is in Christ. This is something every girl must figure out on her own, with help from those who love her. My prayer for all of us is that we will daily be reminded of who we are in Christ as defined by the Bible, and what we mean to Him.

   In a world that constantly seeks to tear you down and mar your God given image, you can laugh in the face of this evil for you know this: the world's verdict of who you are or how you look is not what defines you. The vanity and pride that chase you, trying to wreck your God given confidence will have no effect  on you if you dwell in the light of who God says you are. 

   In a world that try to fit you into one mold, you can defy this image and make your own. When the world says you're anything less then perfect, God says you ARE perfect. When you look in the mirror and see less then "perfection" God sees His child, His beloved daughter created to be who she is. When the world says you're anything but pretty, God looks on in love and says "my child, you're beautiful"  When you're not a model, Barbie or movie star, you are still perfect just as you are. To God all your "flaws," imperfections and "errors" are just the opposite: they are the perfections that make you who you are. They are the unique qualities and features that set you apart from the rest of the world. Don't hate your appearance or personality because it doesn't match up with the world's image of who you should be. Rejoice that you are one in a million, fearfully and wonderfully made (Psalm 139:14) by a God who adores you just the way you are.

   I beg you my sisters, do not let the evils of this world get to you! Remember who you are in Christ and take comfort in that. Do not let this world try to redefine you, God has already defined who you are and you are afterall, made in HIS IMAGE, therefore only HE has the right to define who you are and how you should look. As young ladies, we don't need to look like this world nor fit into it, for we were made to be who we are and to stick out in this world, shining for HIS glory. When the world puts us down, God will lift us up.When the world says we're not, GOD says we are: priceless, treasured, beautiful, perfect, sacred, beloved. 

Sincerely,
Your sister in Christ

MercyMe "Beautiful"
http://youtu.be/FhWf-SnCaU0

Johnny Diaz "More beautiful you"
http://youtu.be/r7UJE22Td9s
~turn off music to hear songs~

"For the glory of God!"

We are:

    We are: created

       We are: fallen

    We are: unworthy

      We are: sinful

  

                                                           We are: rebellious

                                           

       Yet in HIM we are:

         picked from our ashes,  

           forgiven, saved, redeemed,      

                                        

 made new,   

                                            

 righteous,

                           

                                                       set apart, holy,

  

                                         complete, lacking nothing,

 beloved, adored, priceless, precious, treasured

    We are HIS! 

 "I am my beloved's, and HE is mine" 

Solomon 6:3

"For the glory of God!"

Solomon 6:3. "I am my beloved's, and my beloved is mine: he feeds among the lilies." - See more at: http://www.chacha.com/question/what-is-the-bible-verse-that-says-%22i-am-my-beloved%27s-and-he-is-mine%22#sthash.AumuMn5p.dpuf

 

"I am my beloved's, and my beloved is mine:

"I am my beloved's, and my beloved is mine:

Broken hearts

I’m driving home from work when I see him. An elderly man, maybe 67-68, frantically searching for dropped change. I pull into the parking lot, he is now going through the garbage can. I drive past, he looks up. His eyes are desperate. Hungry. Lonely. Sad.  As I pull into the drive through, 5 people walk past him. Each one ignoring his need. I give him food and pray with him, his hands shake and tears fill his eyes. “Phil,” he tells me, “Phil, is my name.”  (How long has it been since someone has acknowledged him by name, as a human being and not a “dirty homeless man”??) 


    I walk past a tired young mom in Walmart. She’s cranky, tired, lonely. No ring on her hand. Alone and sad. She never asked for this.

     Walking through the mall a man lifts his eyes to mine. It is the same look. Desperation, sadness. Often fear.

     It's the look in their eyes that tells their story. The tears that gather on their lashes and the quiver of their voice, that tells you it's been a long time since someone has cared about them, loved them, prayed for them. It’s the same look I’ve seen in the eyes of  orphans and widows. I’ve seen it time and time again. It is the look of a broken heart, a heart that needs love.

When you see these people, does not your heart bleed for them!?! It should. Jesus’ did. That’s what made Him a servant to His people: the love in His heart. The love that we need to share. Christians are called to stand in the gap and look after our fellow man, yet  when was the last time we walked past someone with that look and stopped to show them that we care about them? That GOD cares about them? That they are loved??

It’s time to make a difference. Next time you see that look stop and do something for that person to show them LOVE. To BE Christ to them.

"Beloved, let us love one another, for love is from God,and whoever loves has been born of God and knows God." 1 John 4:7

"For the glory of God!"

Peace in His plan and timing

 Hmm, contentment. How can something sound so simple yet be so hard? Next to patience I do believe contentment is one of the hardest things to learn and put into practice in life. Yet it is so necessary in the christian walk. This is something I've really struggled with this year, learning to be content with where God has me at the present moment. All my life I've dreamed of graduating high school, going off to the mission field then coming home and marrying at 19,  immediately setting out for Liberia together. The problem is that was MY plan. Not GOD'S plan for me.

   Here I am 10 years after receiving my call and I find myself in America with absolutely no exciting plans for the near future. For months I was not ok with this. I wanted so badly to get back out there, I was bored with every day life here and felt useless in my inability to hands on help those kids. Don't get me wrong, I loved being back with my family and church but I had the hardest time adjusting to the fact that God had me here for an unknown amount of time. (My poor family put up with a lot those months!)  But in the last month something in me has changed. I realized how badly I was hurting my family by my lack of joy at being here and more so, how I was hurting and even disobeying GOD by not accepting His plan.

     I look at life as a series of learning experiences, each day offers a chance to learn from and about God if I am only searching for His lessons. By doing this I have learned so much!! Most of all, I've learned true contentment in His plan and have peace at where I am in life because of this. Yes, where I am now is not what I would have chosen, but I wouldn't change this for anything! Every day here is a special gift from the Lord, one that brings numerous blessings and abounding joy! I treasure the fact that I am still living at home, that I get to go to sleep each night with one of my little sisters in bed with me, that I get to greet my Daddy at the door with a kiss on the cheek, that I still get to make meals for my family. The list goes on, and each day I'm filled with more joy and contentment. I still miss Africa and will be thrilled when He calls me back but for now, being here is a little piece of heaven on earth! I thank God that He knows better than I the plans He has for me and the outcome of this time here.

"So he will do to me whatever he has planned.  

He controls my destiny."

Job 23:14 

"For the glory of God!!"

The joy of the King

       He giggles with glee as I tickle his bare tummy then turns and runs to the other side of the room where he eagerly calls me, "Bee! Aun Bee!" then squealing in delight he runs into my arms. It was the game we played over and over last night. My darling little nephew with his laughing blue eyes and feisty temperament is such a joy to my heart. As I laughed with him last night it got me thinking. God delights in His children and rejoices to bring them joy right? But what brings God joy? 

    God is a God of emotion, which means He is a God of joy, a GIVER OF JOY. He delights to shower us with blessings that will bring us joy. Personally, I believe that when we deliberately choose to shun the joy of the Lord and dwell on our negative emotions we are taking away from His joy. If we want to bring our Father joy we need to LIVE IN JOY. One of the most easily recognizable characteristics of a Christian is their joy, so if we want the world to recognize us as a Christian one of the things we need to do is live a joyful life. It's not always easy, but we need to be purposely seeking to find even a hint of joy in our day to day lives to thank God for that cheer, being in communion with Him through the simple things that bring a smile to our face.

 "But let all those who take refuge and put their trust in You rejoice; let them ever sing and shout for joy, because You make a covering over them and defend them;

 let those also who love Your name be joyful in You and be in high spirits" 

Psalm 5:11

"For the glory of God!"

The honor of The King

“While we continue onward in the face of a world filled with uncertainty, we can rejoice for hidden within it’s mysteries is the honor of a King” –‘One night with the king”   

  While the rest of the world lives in fear because of the chaos sin has created, we as Christians can be at peace knowing that hidden in this world of darkness if the mystery of God’s plan.Yes, the world is a dark place and daily getting darker and more evil but God does have a plan. A plan for the world and an individual plan for each person on this planet. Not one person goes unnoticed by God. Not one day goes unplanned by Him. There is no birth, no death, no tragedy and no joy that is not part of His plan. True, people often interfere with His plans but He always has a way of leading the willing heart back to where they should be. 

    Every person is a unique being with a unique destiny and calling for their life. We can rest assured that if we let God have His way with our life His plan will lead us to the best life we could have ever imagined and blessings beyond our wildest prayers. Dreams He has for us will unfold into great beauty as we are tried and tested in the holy fire and come out strong and purified in our faith.Our King's honor is hidden in this dark world, hidden within our hearts waiting to be lived out as we reveal His glory to the world through our humble lives. He that honors the Father is in turn honored by the Father.(1 Samuel 2:30)  The whole purpose of life is to live a life on honor to our King. So let us return to Him the honor that is due His holy name!

  "For ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, 

which are God's."  1 Corinthians 6:20

"For the glory of God!"

More than something to claim

      "Do you ever go to church?" I asked the 4 year old I was babysitting. Her answer shocked and surprised me, "Church? What's church?" When I proceeded to explain to her what church was her answer further shocked and saddened me, "who is Jesus?"

      "Who is Jesus!?" My mind reeled, "how can you live in America and not know Who Jesus is?!" Even at 4 years old  most of the children in America have at least heard of Jesus, even if they don't know Who He is, right? Wrong. This sweet girl is just an example of the many people world wide who haven't heard of Jesus. In the back of our minds we seem to think that everyone knows of Jesus, but the population of those who have never heard of Him is larger than we realize. With that being in mind how can we claim to be Christians yet sit around ignoring the cry of the world!?

 “Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father; take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world.  For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in,  I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.’

 “Then the righteous will answer him, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink?  When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and clothe you?  When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?’

“The King will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for Me.’  Matthew 25: 34-40 

       Our lives need to mirror HIS, we need to live as if we were serving. helping, loving and walking with Christ everyday with everyone we interact with. For He is in us and reaches out to others through us.

       Christianity is more than just a title, it is a life style.  It is more than something you claim. It's something you live by and share with others! Make a difference in this world. Live out your faith. Prove Who Christ is.

 "...The world has enough people, but not enough disciples...when will YOU decide to become disciples?" -Pastor Jeremiah Steepek

What is "normal?"

  So often we hear Christians say they "just want to live a normal life" or "why can't my life be normal?!"  But what is normal when you're a Christian? I mean, everything about Christianity is abnormal! Look at the creation of the world, look at the gospel, look at the Great Commission, are those normal!? Are any of our beliefs normal? Is it normal to believe in a 7 day creation, that man came from dust and woman from the man? That a carpenter was born of a virgin in a manger and grew up to become the Savior of the world: that He can heal the sick, raise the dead and died for all mankind? Is it normal that that same Man rose from the dead and now reigns forever as King of the universe? Further more is our commission considered normal, that we're to die to ourselves to live for Christ, to love and serve others, to suffer for Christ and to spread this strange gospel throughout the earth?

   No! None of this is normal so why then do we think we who are called by an abnormal calling, should be entitled to a "normal" life? We should rejoice in the abnormality of our lives knowing that we are called by Christ's name to be people of His love, rejoicing to live our lives for His glory, making His name known. In a world that is filled with crisis we alone can "rescue the perishing" so why do we hesitate? Why do we try to blend in with this world, to be "normal"?

   The world needs us to be abnormal, Christ calls us to be abnormal. When will we realize the blessings and weight of this calling and embrace it, stepping out to save the world?!

"The world lives in a time of crisis. Christians alone are in a position to rescue the perishing. We dare not settle down and try to live as if things were normal." A.W. Tozer

"For the glory of God!" 

Beautiful mess

    When I was little I used to look at life through the eyes of a child, and in those eyes the world was perfect; life was perfect. In my small mind I could not comprehend how a world so beautiful could be so wicked. Now, I understand. Shortly before I went to Zambia last year I went through a stage where I was so disgusted with the world that at 17 I was already done with this life and looking to heaven. There was even a time when I thought I did not want kids because I didn't want to bring them into a world like this. (I no longer think this. Now I want many children, to raise up Godly offspring to serve the Lord!) I thought this world and all in it was ugly. I was looking at the world through the eyes of a faulty and selfish human being.

     Then God stepped in. He stripped me of all I thought I knew of the world and radically changed my life. In the beautiful country of Zambia my heart was torn and bled for those people, and it was there that I learned to see beauty in the midst of all the ugliness, love in the midst of grief and healing in the midst of pain. As the tears fell from my eyes and my heart ached, I began to see God's heart for the world. I saw that life is not all ugly even in the midst of great tragedy. I was there to help those children yet unbeknownst to me, they were the ones who helped me.  I learned to love in a way I've never loved before; to grieve with the grief stricken, to cry with the hurting and laugh with the joyful. I learned to see joy amidst pain and likewise how to see God in the sorrow. Through those people I saw the good in the world and the Father's hand at work in this life. I now look at life through Christ's eyes. Through the eyes of LOVE.

    Yes, this world is a big, ugly mess, but life is in fact beautiful. It is the individual not the world that makes their life beautiful or ugly. This world is marred with sin and hatred as Satan lurks in the shadows seeking to kill and destroy, but the people of this world are beautiful beyond compare in the eyes of God. No matter how evil or how righteous they are, they are still loved by HIM which means we too need to love them. Life is a mess; a mess of many emotions, troubles and blessings. Life is a cherished mess, a beautiful mess. 

 "Look at the birds of the air: they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them.  Are you not of more value than they?"

 Matthew 6:26

"For the glory of God!"

    
    

Leap of faith into arms of strength

Everybody has those times in their life when God leads us to stand at the edge of a deep body of water; a pool of sorrow, trouble or confusion. Whatever form that time of adversity takes, we know, and God knows, that this pool will test our faith and strength beyond what we feel we can endure. Yet we are not alone for God is standing in that pool waiting for us. As we stare into those murky depths He lifts His arms and says, "Come on. Jump. I promise I'll catch you." And He always does. Though we think we cannot swim and will surely sink, He looks deep into our eyes with reassurance and lifts those ever ready arms to catch us. In that moment we have to decide if we will trust that still small voice, or run in cowardice fear to avoid this adversity.

 
      As we overcome our fear our Father's face lights up with joy at the faith we display in Him and as our feet lift off the deck of comfort into the sea of the unknown, we find ourselves enveloped in the tenderest, most loving embrace we will ever know. That well known voice gently whispers in our ear, "Well done My child, I knew you could do it! You just had to trust Me." It is then that we realize, we will never have to face these situations on our own. For the arms that hold us now will carry us through to the other side and set our feet safely on higher ground. If we only trust Him, He will never lead us astray but will guide us down paths of uncertainty and adversity, beside rivers of joy. At the end of that adversity filled path we will look back on all that we went through, and be overjoyed at the outcome as we recognize God's will is better than our own, and only HE can use pools of adversity to bring such beauty into our lives and character. Don't be dismayed when you find yourself facing the unknown or adversity. Embrace it in faith and let God do His work in you.

“Sometimes your only available transportation is a leap of faith.”-Margaret Shepard 

 "Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything." James 1:2-4 

"For the glory of God!"

Worthy is THE LAMB!!

 

    

     This world and all that is in and out of it is HIS! How often do we stop and let that sink in, humbling ourselves before God and kneeling in awe before our God whose power we could never fathom? How often do we actually stop to think about how much we owe our King and how mighty He really is? How often do we let the "unimportant" things in life cause us to see how God is at work in that situation or behind the scenes and acknowledge Him as He deserves? I daresay not enough, for we can never praise or acknowledge Him enough. For now, we can only give our Lord as much worship as our sinful humanity can render, but one day we will be complete, lacking nothing; standing before Him in all His splendor, and on that day we will finally be able to praise Him as He fully deserves.In that moment and forever on into eternity, we will join with all of heaven to sing "Holy, holy, holy is the Lord God Almighty, who was, and is, and is to come.” (Revelation 4:8)

"..."To him who sits on the throne and to the Lamb be praise and honor and glory 

and power, for ever and ever!"" 

Revelations 5:13

"For the glory of God!"

My reason to worship in every season

  I am standing before an "unending" mountain and I know the only way to continue my journey is to climb over it. So I climb, but it is not easy. With every step forward a boulder comes crashing down the mountain side. For a while I am able to avoid these and press on, but as I grow weary I allow myself to grow careless and within hours I grow weak and I have not the strength to fight enough. Soon, I find that I cannot press on, I am stuck on this mountain. 

     This is where I was in life the past several weeks. I was in a very dark place in my life and spiritually and emotionally I was really struggling. Many things kept piling up in my life, it felt like Satan was attacking me in any way he could. These struggles were my mountain and the boulders were Satan's attempts at knocking me down and keeping me down. Some days it felt like he was succeeding, I was down and it felt like I could not overcome this. Yet I was clearly not getting what God was trying to show me. Finally one day He had to hit me over the head with the truth. He showed me that problem was ME. I was under a lot of warfare and things were tough, but I was the one who first made myself vulnerable for such an attack by allowing myself to neglect my spiritual nourishment, opening myself up to the enemies darts.

     When you're not immersing yourself in His word you are not drawing near to Him, if you're not drawing near to Him, He will not draw near to you. We were made to come to Him not the other way around. This was one of the biggest lessons God was teaching me through this time. All that time I crying out to God everyday to please help me and it felt like He had left me. But indeed, I was the one who had forsaken Him by not being in His word each day. God used my error of not seeking Him to draw me nearer to Him once I acknowledged my mistake and teach me in the midst of that trial. In every season and every trial, no matter why I am in the trial, He does work through these rough seasons in life and even when it feels like He is not there He is always standing beside me, giving me the strength to stand. Whether life is "all as it should be" or if I'm in the midst of the desert, "in every season I have a reason to worship" because HE is still God and the God that I serve will never leave me even when I leave Him!!

http://youtu.be/vjutYdo6opI

"Yet the LORD longs to be gracious to you; therefore he will rise up to show you compassion. For the LORD is a God of justice. Blessed are all who wait for him!" 

Isaiah 30:18

"For the glory of God!"

A beautiful virtue

  External modesty as defined by Merriam-Webster dictionary:

2: propriety in dress, speech, or conduct 

Modesty as defined by the Bible:

1: Dressing modestly with decency and propriety, adorning ourselves

                                           with good deeds ( 1 Timothy 2:9-10)  

 

 2: Respectful and pure conduct, being discreet and chaste letting our meek  and quiet spirit be our apparel                                       (1 Peter 3:1-4, Titus 2:4-5)

3:  Dressing in a manner as befits a woman            (Deuteronomy 22:5)

4: Dressing to glorify God (1 Corinthians 10:31)

 5: Dressing in a way that does not stumble those younger than us or new in faith    (Matthew 18:6-7)

    Modesty is a fading virtue that is shunned by today's society. It is a rare and beautiful virtue yet women forsake it these days. Even many Christian women abandon Biblical modesty, for a woman who dresses with discretion yet still acts with impropriety is not modest at all for according to the Bible, modesty is far more then just discreet clothing.

"....Modesty is a way of thinking that is characterized by humility and purity, and results in appropriate actions." -Michelle Brock

    Modesty starts in our heart when we make that conscious decision to start living in discretion and propriety. As Christian women we should be following Christ's guidelines for modesty, and the Bible is our handbook. In all that we wear and say and however we conduct ourselves is to match up with Christ's standards for a modest woman. Before you speak think, before you leave the house look in the mirror and ask yourself  "would this outfit cause men to stumble?," as you are interacting with men constantly be on guard to ensure that you are conducting yourself with discretion and propriety. Above all seek to glorify God and honor your future husband with all your actions, words and attire.

     As young women we need to constantly be praying that God will enable us to live in respectful and pure conduct, being chaste and discreet, making meekness and good deeds our apparel. However this looks for you is between God and yourself. If God is convicting you on an outfit being too revealing, get rid of it. If He is convicting you on your speech or conduct with men, pray that He will help you change that and be actively exercising your prayer. Let us bring modesty back into this world starting today!

"As a ring of gold in a swine's snout, so is a beautiful woman without discretion." 

Proverbs 11:22 

"For the glory of God!"

I will come to you!

  As the airport came into view my stomach lurched with excitement. A smile a mile wide spread across my face as I looked over at my seatmate, Christina Cates. Her face mirrored my own. Breathless with excitement and anticipation, we gasped, "WE'RE IN AFRICA!!!" Suddenly it was all I could do to stay in my seat till the plane landed. That night as we drove through town watching the beautiful, moonlight landscape pass by, I knew I'd already fallen in love with this place. The next day as I lost my heart to the children and mamas of EOH, I knew I would never leave Africa with my heart in one piece.

   Today marks 1 year since I first said yes to God's plan and allowed Him to send me where He wanted, starting me off on the greatest adventure of my life. At that time last year I was on a plane headed to Zambia where I'd soon plant my heart. Tomorrow the 2013 interns head off to start their term in Zambia, and due to a strange change in the Lord's plan, I will not be with them.

    In early May after a series of safety issues, I had to come home. After much prayer, God clearly told me that I was to stay for a while. A few weeks after being home my cousin was hospitalized and shortly afterwards passed away. I now see just a glimpse of His purpose in bringing me home and am grateful to Him for how He directed my trip. God is sovereign and His purpose will stand in our lives no matter how badly we want His will to be different. (Job 42: 2) In this case, I did not want to leave despite the danger, and honestly I fought Him every step of the way that whole month, until He finally had to bring me to my knees before Him.
     
   Though I am home for now, not a day goes by that I do not miss Zambia and the family I left behind there. Every day my heart longs to be back there. To sit in that beautiful red dirt with my clothes and skin stained by it's fine grains, to breath in the wonderful scent of Africa, watching the many wonders of God being performed right before my eyes and being with my Zambian family. A large portion of my heart stays with my Zambian family, connecting me to that wonderful country.

   At this time, I do not know what God has planned for me in near future, nor do I know when He will show me. But for now it is enough for me to know that I am in His will, walking the path He has laid for me.With the love that the people of EOH and I share and the knowledge that my heart is still in Zambia, I can honestly say if it be God's will, "Zambia, I will be back!!!!"

"I will come to you." John 14:18

For the glory of God!

   

   

Help Me Find It!

        

   We all have those moments when we find ourselves at a crossroad in our lives and we are at a complete loss of what to do. We're crying out to God to discern His will for us but we get no reply. There are so many paths in front of us but only one is the path He has chosen for us. We know that He is near, but at times like that He feels so far away. It seems the more we cry out the further away He gets, and the silence we receive in answer to our prayers grows, till we feel that God is not even listening to us anymore.

   In times like that I've learned that I have 2 choices. I can either choose to be angry with God for "not listening to me" or I can continue to seek Him and eventually He'll show me His will. More often then not when I'm surrounded by confusion and feel like God has turned a silent ear to me, my flesh wants to choose to be angry with God. But when I continue seeking Him, He draws near and reveals His plan. Sometimes He takes a whole lot longer then my human mind would like, but at times like that He is able to work on my lack of patience, to gradually develop within me, a spirit of patience and of willingness to wait.

   I recently a sermon by Pastor Damion Kyle on the topic of God's silence. In this sermon he said, "God's silence doesn't always mean "no," but quite often it doesn't mean "yes" either. Most of the time God's silence is simply silence. It just means that He is testing us to see how we will react to Him "ignoring us." Or He will often times even use a trial of silence to prepare us for whatever greater trial lays ahead. He knows that without the trial of silence, we will not be strong enough to stand in the face of the trial that is coming." Personally, I found this very encouraging. I listened to it at a time when I was crying out to God to please help me find the next path He has for me and wasn't getting an answer. I felt angry that He was letting things be so confusing when I just wanted to do His will, but I had to step back and evaluate why I wanted to do His will and once I did, my prayers quickly changed. I went from praying "Lord show me what you want me to do!" to "Lord, whatever You choose to do, will be fine with me. Only take the reins and let Your will be done." God had to totally crush my spirit, bringing me down to my knees before Him in total surrender, before I was finally where He wanted me. Only when I had stopped thinking about myself and what I'd like to do, and had completely handed over control of my life to HIM alone, only then, would He show me His plan and lead me forward onto that path.

   If God has you in a place of silence, be encouraged. He has a plan for that trial of silence and once He's brought you through to the other side, you will look back on that time and see how far He's brought you. And you will be thankful for that silence. I know I was. God's silence brings His blessings. So wait patiently, for soon He will reveal His purpose to you. Just keep seeking His face and allow Him to be at work in you.

"Wait on the LORD: be of good courage, and he shall strengthen thine heart: 

wait, I say, on the LORD."

Proverbs 27:13

"For the glory of God!"

What kind of generation are we?

“Oh give us clean hands,
and give us pure hearts.
Let us not lift our souls to another!
Oh God let this be,
a generation that seeks,
Who seeks Your face, Oh God of Jacob!”

     Young people, are we this kind of generation? We as youth and young adults are the future of the world. What kind of legacy will we introduce to the world? Will we be a generation that truly seeks His face, a generation that has clean hands and a pure heart, a generation that lifts our souls only to the God of all glory? Or will we be a generation that struggles to reveal our light and be His tools?

    If there’s any hope for the future, it is through a Godly generation rising up in the name of Christ, bearing His cross and carrying His banner of mercy over our lives. That hope is through our generation rising up and being different from the world, pointing to our Savior and making a difference for Him. It through a generation that brings mercy, love and grace into a dark and merciless world. It is through a generation that burns for our Savior and is not afraid to let His name be know, to proclaim His kingdom to all people everywhere. A generation that brings Christ to the world.  Let us be that generation, a generation that God can use for His glory!!

“If anyone speaks, he should do it as one speaking the very words of God. If anyone serves, he should do it with the strength God provides, so that in all things God may be praised through Jesus Christ. To him be the glory and the power for ever and ever. Amen.” 

1 Peter 4:11

“For the glory of God!”

A lesson thorugh pain

 They say if you hurt deeply it's because you love deeply. Guess that's why my eyes burned from all my tears and my heart ached so badly as I lay in bed last night. It's the words you never want to hear about a loved one, "I'm sorry, she's gone."  It's the gut wrenching fear for their eternity and the raw ache of "what more could I have done?!" as you say good bye that person.

  Last night my 23 year old cousin passed away after a long battle with illness. It was the first time I've ever seen someone pass to the door of eternity. As I stood at her bedside holding her hand while Mama prayed with her, I was begging God, as I had done all week, to please not take her until she was right with Him. I was scared. I was terrified for her as I thought of how close she was to meeting God, yet she was not ready. We prayed until she had passed on. Then it hit me. A wave of such terror and sorrow as I had never known. My cousin was standing before the throne of God and I had no idea where she was going from there. As I begged God to bring her into His folds, all I could think was "what more could I have done?! What more was God telling me do that I didn't do?!"

   This though bugged me late into the night as I lay awake long after everyone else was asleep. As a Christian, I had "done my duty" to her and had planted seeds for years. Yet as a cousin, I know I could have and should have done more. Though I tried for years to witness to her (through Mama she did accept Him once, but walked away from Him when she was older), there came a time when I gave up and from then on I didn't mention it again. I only prayed. How we all prayed for years!!! My heart burns today as I think about my cousin, somewhere in eternity, and I do not know where she is.All I can do is cling to the promises of the Bible that God is mighty to save even at deaths door and that those who call on the name of the Lord will be saved (Romans 10:13). I heard somewhere, that Christians have the power over one's eternity, even once they've passed on. That we can change someone's eternity through our prayers and our belief. Though I don't know if this is true, I continue to pray for my cousin, beseeching the Lord on her behalf to take her home with Him.

   This situation has really shown me just how fragile human life is, through a painfully personal example of that. I keep thinking, "how many more people like Alicia, have I allowed to pass through my life without making a better attempt at planting seeds into their lives? How many times has God tried to get my attention to witness to someone and I have haven't done it?" I haven't been making the most of every opportunity I've been given. I've been neglecting my duty as a Christian. I pray that God will help me learn this lesson once and for all, and apply it to my life in all areas, so that I never let another opportunity slip by without doing anything about it.

"For He knows how weak we are;  He remembers we are only dust.
Our days on earth are like grass; like wildflowers, we bloom and die." 

Psalm 103:13-14

"For the glory of God!"

Created to be his help meet

(God has laid this post on my heart for the past 2 months.  I started it before I left for Zambia and it was supposed to be part of a "series." But while I was there I always got distracted writing about other things. Lol. So here it is, it's finally done.)

“Then the Lord God said, “It is not good that the man should be alone; I will make him a helper fit for him.”  Genesis 2:18

   Some women are called to singleness, but for most of us God has marriage in our future, and has personally hand picked the right man for us. However, something we often forget is He has also hand picked us for that man, knowing that no other lady would be right for him. 

  Ladies, if a man was evaluating us right now to see if we would make a good wife, would we pass the test? If a man was secretly checking up on us and reading everything we wrote on the internet, talking to friends and family, and watching us to see what we're like, would he approve of what he saw and read? How is our life and walk with the Lord reflecting who we are on the inside? 

  Instead of spending all our time day dreaming about our prince, let us evaluate ourselves to see if we are ready for marriage. We were created to be a help meet to our husband. That means we are to come alongside him in partnership, support and encouragement. To be a helper to him. Are we ready for that? Are we ready to take on all the responsibilities of running a household?  Are we suitable material for a wife?Are we guiding our actions and words to prepare us for marriage and to honor our husbands?? Are we women prepared for marriage or are we just overgrown little girls wanting to be married? 

"For who can find a virtuous wife? Her price is far above rubies." Proverbs 31:1 

   Ladies, Godly men seek Godly and virtuous women for their wives so it is important that we are such before we ever think about entering into a relationship. I once heard someone say "marriage does not change a person, but that person can change their marriage." Whether for the good of the marriage or not is up to us. If we want to be a good wife and have a strong marriage, it is important that we start now while we are both young and are not in a relationship, because being a good wife does not start at the alter, it starts years beforehand as we prepare for and head towards that ultimate goal. How we conduct ourselves as single women will be carried into marriage, so it is vital that we work on becoming a Proverbs 31 woman right now. If we answer any of the above questions in a negative sense, then we are not ready for marriage. Let us be studying what God says about being a Godly wife and work on making ourselves such a woman. Eric and Leslie Ludy have some great books out about what Godly relationships should look like, and Debi Pearl has a highly recommended book for women, called Preparing to be a help meet. These are all highly recommended books to read before we enter into a relationship.

   If we seek now to honor our future husbands in all our thoughts, words and actions, when he finally wins our heart he will be blessed beyond measure with this gift that we give him: the gift of our purity and virtue. Whoever we marry will be our best friend for life. We need to ensure that we are the kind of woman that will also be a best friend to that man. A woman who will bless him and stand by him all the days of our lives. The kind of woman he has searched for and prayed for for years and the wife that he wants us to be and God has called us to be.  

Here's a link to a really sweet song about being faithful to your future spouse, Faithfully by Eric and Leslie Ludy: (Turn my music off at the bottom of page)

"For the vision is yet for an appointed time and...it will not deceive or disappoint. Though it tarry,wait for it,because it will surely come; 
 it will not be behindhand on its appointed day."

Habakkuk 2:3

"For the glory of God!" 

 

Glory to God forever? Or on occasion?

    
“Glory to God forever”…… such powerful and inspiring lyrics! But it makes me stop and think….am I really glorifying God forever or am I more of a once in a while glorifier? 

      I recently did a Bible study with the kids in Zambia on the Parable of the talents. As I studied up on the passages before the study the Lord spoke to my heart. He challenged me in how much I was praising and living for Him in my day to day life. Sure, I was in Zambia in obedience to His call, working with orphans and widows,  but that’s not enough.  I can’t go on a mission trip and spend months or weeks at a time serving Him and praising Him all day, then come home and leave all that behind. And sadly that’s exactly what I was doing. I would come home and get so wrapped up in my day to day life and become so comfortable here that I would forget to be living for Him in every possible area.

   God has given me my abilities and skills for a reason. Not to waste them while I’m home, but to use them for His glory wherever , whenever and however I can. He has created me for the purpose of glorifying Him in all that I do. From here on out I will use my life for Him, every chance I get. I pray that this song will be the declaration of my life and that my life will be living proof of His love.

“Yet a time is coming and has now come when the true worshipers will worship the Father in the Spirit and in truth, for they are the kind of worshipers the Father seeks. God is spirit, and his worshipers must worship in the Spirit and in truth.” 

John 4:22-24

“For the glory of God!”

He knows better than I

"My life is but a weaving
Between the Lord and me;
I may not choose the colors–
He knows what they should be.           
For He can view the pattern       
Upon the upper side
While I can see it only
On this, the under side......

Not ’til the loom is silent
And the shuttles cease to fly
Shall God unroll the canvas
And explain the reason why...." "The Master Weaver's plan," Benjamin Malachi Franklin

    Our life is like a woven pattern and Christ is the Master Weaver.  Each gold and silver thread are the victories, the joys, and the times of happiness and prosperity in our lives, and the dark threads represent the time of confusion, trial or hardships that are in our lives. Both threads are equally important to our spiritual growth and our refinement of character. God use hardships and times of joy and peace to shape us into the person He wants us to be. We may not be always understand why thing happen the way they do or what God is doing in our lives, but as the He is weaving our life's paths, He alone sees the way the pattern is unfolding and He alone is capable of leading us through life on the right path. He knows us and He knows our lives better then we do, for He wove us together in the secret place and we were made fearfully and wonderfully (Palm 139) by Him and for Him. (Colossians 1:16) When we stand before Him one day and look back on our life, we see how all the pieces fit together and how every situation was a part of His plan and worked for our good in the end. Right now we are a work of art, on that day, we will be a masterpiece, completed in the day of Christ Jesus!

 "For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them." 

Ephesians 2:10

"For the glory of God!!"

Funny and random quotations of the past weeks

1. "My children are getting fat. They didn't used to be like this. I'm sure it is the schools food that is making them chunky. "-Mama Florence

2."Auntie Shelbie, you've gotten short and fat!" -Aleck

3. Hope: "Do you want to trade papers now?"
Me: "Um...sure?"
Hope: "No! Why do you want to trade papers?!?" 
A few seconds later...
Hope: "Yes! We will trade papers. We need to trade papers right now. (Haha. This girl keeps me laughing.)

4. " Auntie, eat more Nshima. We want you to be fat!" -Faith

5. Choolwe: "Do you know what my name?"
Me: "Of course, you're Choolwe!" 
Choolwe: "No! I'm Billiat!"
Billiate: "I'm Dickson"
Clement: "And I'm Michael"  (Oh these boys...always trying to get my mixed up on their names:)

6. Upon introducing some of the kids to my family via Skype:
Choolwe: "Hello, I'm Michael"
Michael: "And I'm Lubasi and..(pointing at Helen) she's Thoko!"

7. Agness: "I'm going to walk you home alone this time auntie. And if anyone tries to hurt you, I'll fight for you! I'll fight them off!!"

8. Faith: "You take care of me and I'm going to take care of you. I'm going to make sure you eat eat eat ang get fat!" (For some reason they like us to be fat. Lol.)

9. Lolly in an email to me: "Shelbie, I love you so much! I'm gonna love you even you're old!" 

10. Shylie: "Heeeey Looollly! Shelbie's not gonna be here for yoouuuurr birthday but she'll be here for miiiinnne!!" (said with a sassy little toss of her head. Lol)

11. Jacob: "You're very stupid you know that!?!" (don't worry he was acting in a film so it was all fake. haha)

12: Jacob..in an old man voice..."Gooooddd...bless us aaalll! Eveerrry one of us!" 

13: Ba Mareta and Ba Patricia: "Every man for himself but God for us all!"

14. "The sun shines so much here. It's always sunny so we're always in the sun. That's why we have black skin. If I went to America where the sun didn't shine as much, I'd have brown skin." -Mama Florence

15. During a conversation about tacos in which all the Zambians are cracking up and I'm sitting there not understanding what's being said....
Ba Humphay....still laughing: "Do you know what mataco is in Nyanga?" 
Me: "nooo..."
Someone in the crowd: "it's means buttocks." 
Ba Humphray, rolling again: "So you eat tacos and we all have a mataco!"
  
 Gotta love these people. They keep me laughing and smiling even on the hardest days.Thank you Lord for allowing me to work with such neat people who are such great examples of joyful Christians.

"For the glory of God!"

We will go!

   "Jesus said to them, "My food is to do the will of him who sent me and to accomplish his work Do you not say, 'There are yet four months, then comes the harvest'? Look, I tell you, lift up your eyes, and see that the fields are white for harvest. Already the one who reaps is receiving wages and gathering fruit for eternal life, so that sower and reaper may rejoice together."

John 4:32-36

    People all over the world are ready to hear and receive God's word, to accept salvation. They only need the chance to do so. "But how will they believe unless someone tells them? And how will we tell them when we're never sent?!!" (Mandy Mapes, "We will go!") 

"He told them, "The harvest is plentiful, but the workers are few. Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into his harvest field." 

Luke 10:2

     So many people are praying that God would send out workers into the harvest but they fail to realize that we are the very workers we've been praying for. How does a field get harvested if the workers keep asking the farmer if they can harvest, yet they do nothing? We are doing nothing to harvest in the kingdom yet we keep asking God to "send forth" workers. Each one of us has already been commissioned for God's work, we've each been sent forth in one way or another. Some far away and others right within their immediate means. It is time that we as workers in the harvest arise and set forth into the fields around us. Every minute people are dying, many without the hope of Christ. We are the beacon of light in this world and it is time we share that light with the lost, the hopeless and the hurting. A light that is hidden cannot shine, so the Truth untold cannot save. It is time to let the light shine. It is time to harvest.

   

 "Ye are the light of the world. A city that is set on an hill cannot be hid.

 Neither do men light a candle, and put it under a bushel, but on a candlestick; and it giveth light unto all that are in the house.  Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven." 

Matthew 5:14-16

"For the glory of God!"