Friday, December 19, 2008
Thank You to all my Supporters
I want to say a speacial thank you to all who have been supporting me in prayer and in my financial needs. It has been a wonderful and honoring journey in Greece and God is allowing me to return once again. I want each of you to know that this has been made possible because of your love for the Lord and how willingly you have obeyed Him and His call in your life. Each of you are being blessed each day and are blessing many lives on the other side of the world. Thank you for everything you do for me and the ministry God has placed in my life.
An Update on Yiannis
I have been telling you about Yiannis for some time now. Many people have been praying for him and his recovery from his terrible car accident.
About three weeks ago I was able to spend some time with Yiannis. He wanted to see some of his friends and to just get out of the house; so his family got us all together and had supper at a place called comsovision. We were able to see one of God's mircales first hand. Yiannis who had been in a coma for about two months and docotors said they could do nothing but just pray for him was up talking with family and friends. He was walking by himself with a walker. I just could not believe my own eyes. God is not only a wonderful creater but also a mighty restorer. He is healing Yiannis and allowing him to live for Him once again. Yiannis is progression each day and loving the Lord more and more.
Yiannis has never taken His eyes from the Lord in this time of trouble and continues to witness and testify the words and love of our Savior.
Another amazing note about Yiannis is that he still knows his english very well.
Thank you for all your prayers and contiune to pray for Yiannis as he is still recovering.
About three weeks ago I was able to spend some time with Yiannis. He wanted to see some of his friends and to just get out of the house; so his family got us all together and had supper at a place called comsovision. We were able to see one of God's mircales first hand. Yiannis who had been in a coma for about two months and docotors said they could do nothing but just pray for him was up talking with family and friends. He was walking by himself with a walker. I just could not believe my own eyes. God is not only a wonderful creater but also a mighty restorer. He is healing Yiannis and allowing him to live for Him once again. Yiannis is progression each day and loving the Lord more and more.
Yiannis has never taken His eyes from the Lord in this time of trouble and continues to witness and testify the words and love of our Savior.
Another amazing note about Yiannis is that he still knows his english very well.
Thank you for all your prayers and contiune to pray for Yiannis as he is still recovering.
Home for the Holiday
I am now home for Christmas and it is good to be back. I am greatly enjoying the time I have with my family, friends, and visiting my chruch. I have missed each one and will cherish the time I have.
I would like to give an update on how things are going in Greece. God is working in a mighty ways in the lives of the Greeks and also my own. I have been honored to be a part of the commuinty center and to be one of the leaders of the center. I spend my weekends with the children and have seen a stronger bond and friendship being formed with the children. The relationships are growing and time together is so sweet. I miss the kids tremendously and can not wait to get back to them. I am excited to see how God will continue to work in the lives of the community; both children and parents alike.
At the center we have now started music and language lessons which take place during the week and soon will be adding a tutoring area and a computer lab on the top floor.
I also will be working with the youth more when I get back in Jan. I have been going to youth group on Saturday nights but will start to go to the youth Bible study on Wednesday nights also when I return. The youth at the First Greek Evangelical Chruch are amazing young adults who have a huge heart for the Lord. It is amazing to see God work in there lives.
Finally during the week I attend classes at the Greek Bible Institute where I have meet many great people. God truly placed me right in the middle of a group of amazing people to love and encourage me. I have learned so much at the school including in the classroom and out of the classroom knowledge. I thank God for putting the people from the school in my life.
I would like to give an update on how things are going in Greece. God is working in a mighty ways in the lives of the Greeks and also my own. I have been honored to be a part of the commuinty center and to be one of the leaders of the center. I spend my weekends with the children and have seen a stronger bond and friendship being formed with the children. The relationships are growing and time together is so sweet. I miss the kids tremendously and can not wait to get back to them. I am excited to see how God will continue to work in the lives of the community; both children and parents alike.
At the center we have now started music and language lessons which take place during the week and soon will be adding a tutoring area and a computer lab on the top floor.
I also will be working with the youth more when I get back in Jan. I have been going to youth group on Saturday nights but will start to go to the youth Bible study on Wednesday nights also when I return. The youth at the First Greek Evangelical Chruch are amazing young adults who have a huge heart for the Lord. It is amazing to see God work in there lives.
Finally during the week I attend classes at the Greek Bible Institute where I have meet many great people. God truly placed me right in the middle of a group of amazing people to love and encourage me. I have learned so much at the school including in the classroom and out of the classroom knowledge. I thank God for putting the people from the school in my life.
Monday, October 27, 2008
blessed fruits of sacrificial choices...
"Have you ever experienced the blessed fruits of sacrificial choices, in a renewed fullness of life in which you believed but could hardly imagine, leaving you wondering how could it ever be that you even questioned or doubted a certain path? Ever looked back and wondered how could you have ever craved for "garbages"? Ever got tempted to celebrate what is in view (coming) but kept experiencing what was too wonderful to gloss over, being unwilling to fast-forward in a yet brighter future, lest you would miss much of the awesome present?"
This paragraph may need to be read more than once to get anything out of it and if you don't that is ok also because I am going to share with you what it means to me. Since before I even got to Greece I have been having so many feelings and emotions trapped inside me but I didn't know how to express myself or put into words how I felt so I just keep them all inside. My heart and soul were crying out for help but I didn't know how to ask. I needed understanding and guidance but didn't know what to say. I was looking for answers in all the wrong places. I was not fully relying on God and I was not summiting myself completely to Him. I thought I was taking a step of faith when I came to Greece but I did not know what God had in store for me when I got here. I have felt like I am standing on the edge of a cliff and God is showing me His deepest desires for my life but I have to have the faith and trust to jump. I have been standing there looking over the edge telling myself how far the fall is and the possible traps along the way; when God has been trying to show me the blessing it will hold. He is trying to show me that He will be my parachute. He wants me to experience the excitement and fear of the free fall but in the right time He will open His chute to gently lower me to my feet on solid ground. God is ready but I am not.
Someone once told me that our life is like a parade. We are standing on the street watching each float go by. We will see the full parade and experience the excitement but will only see one float at a time. By the end of the parade we will have seen each float and have been able to enjoy each one for what it is worth; not anticipating the next. But then there is God and He is looking down seeing the whole parade all at once; He sees the full parade and knows what float will be next in our life. He knows exactly where we will be when it comes and who we will be with; but the greatest thing is He will know where our heart is. This is how He looks at our life and He will not allow a float to come into our life if we are not ready to see it or to experience all it has to offer.
The part of the paragraph at the beginning that really stuck out to me was "blessed fruits of sacrificial choices". This has come to mean many things to me. I will share two of them now. The first being that sometimes we have to sacrifice what we love the most in order to gain the blessing in life. We have to be willing to follow Christ at any cost; not on our own terms. And the second is the sacrificial choice Jesus made on the cross for all. He gave His life in order for me to have to blessings I have today. He willingly bore the agonizing pain of the scourging and the cross that I might have the opportunity to live eternally with Him.
Christ did this unbelievable act for each one of us and He is waiting for us to surrender to Him.
Prayer Request
Pray for me that I might have to faithfulness to jump of the cliff.
Pray for my family and me that we might take the struggles we have and allow God to shape and mold us into the beautiful creatures he wants us to be. Also for a stronger bond of unity and love for each member of the family no matter the situation.
And for Yiannis who is still on the long hard path to recovery.
.
This paragraph may need to be read more than once to get anything out of it and if you don't that is ok also because I am going to share with you what it means to me. Since before I even got to Greece I have been having so many feelings and emotions trapped inside me but I didn't know how to express myself or put into words how I felt so I just keep them all inside. My heart and soul were crying out for help but I didn't know how to ask. I needed understanding and guidance but didn't know what to say. I was looking for answers in all the wrong places. I was not fully relying on God and I was not summiting myself completely to Him. I thought I was taking a step of faith when I came to Greece but I did not know what God had in store for me when I got here. I have felt like I am standing on the edge of a cliff and God is showing me His deepest desires for my life but I have to have the faith and trust to jump. I have been standing there looking over the edge telling myself how far the fall is and the possible traps along the way; when God has been trying to show me the blessing it will hold. He is trying to show me that He will be my parachute. He wants me to experience the excitement and fear of the free fall but in the right time He will open His chute to gently lower me to my feet on solid ground. God is ready but I am not.
Someone once told me that our life is like a parade. We are standing on the street watching each float go by. We will see the full parade and experience the excitement but will only see one float at a time. By the end of the parade we will have seen each float and have been able to enjoy each one for what it is worth; not anticipating the next. But then there is God and He is looking down seeing the whole parade all at once; He sees the full parade and knows what float will be next in our life. He knows exactly where we will be when it comes and who we will be with; but the greatest thing is He will know where our heart is. This is how He looks at our life and He will not allow a float to come into our life if we are not ready to see it or to experience all it has to offer.
The part of the paragraph at the beginning that really stuck out to me was "blessed fruits of sacrificial choices". This has come to mean many things to me. I will share two of them now. The first being that sometimes we have to sacrifice what we love the most in order to gain the blessing in life. We have to be willing to follow Christ at any cost; not on our own terms. And the second is the sacrificial choice Jesus made on the cross for all. He gave His life in order for me to have to blessings I have today. He willingly bore the agonizing pain of the scourging and the cross that I might have the opportunity to live eternally with Him.
Christ did this unbelievable act for each one of us and He is waiting for us to surrender to Him.
Prayer Request
Pray for me that I might have to faithfulness to jump of the cliff.
Pray for my family and me that we might take the struggles we have and allow God to shape and mold us into the beautiful creatures he wants us to be. Also for a stronger bond of unity and love for each member of the family no matter the situation.
And for Yiannis who is still on the long hard path to recovery.
.
Wednesday, October 1, 2008
Fire In My Bones
"If I say, I will not mention him, or speak any more in His name; his word is in my heart like a fire, a fire shut up in my bones. I am weary of holding it in, indeed, I cannot."
~Jeremiah 20:9
Just when you think you are on fire for God you read a scripture like this one. God takes you from that mountain top to that low valley in one swift wind. I thought I was on fire of God and then I realized that was not completely true. I was not so on fire that my bones felt like they were on fire. I was not so on fire that I could not hold it in. I was not so on fire that I could not contain myself. I just thought I was on fire.
What does it mean to be on fire? What does it look like to be on fire? These are not questions I can answer, because it will look different for everyone. I can not tell you what you need to do to be on fire other than fully giving yourself to the Lord. I am on my way to this amazing wonder and the new realm of my Christian walk. I am scared to death of public speaking and of a new language but even this will not stop the work of God in my life. God is so much bigger than my mild, lame stumbling blocks. I could sit here and give you a list of excuses of why I am not worthy to be called a child of God but in the end it does not matter if I think I’m worthy or not. It is by the grace of God that He counts me worthy. I will never understand but I do not have to; all I’m called to do is be a living testimony to my Lord and Savior. I am to tell people the unfailing love of God, the never changing faithfullness, and the steadfast grace. I am to tell the real life of a Christian and not to sugar coat it. I am to tell the good and the bad times, the blessings and the struggles. I am to tell about the Armor of God and the role it plays in a Christian's life.
I have to praise God for the lessons I have already learned while in Greece. Many of these lessons did not come from the classroom I’m sad to say but they come for the bigger aspect of things. They come from the everyday things you take for granted and the people you fail to listen to. They come from the best friend and the enemy. God can use any situation to further your knowledge as long as we go in with an open heart.
I can not finish this blog without telling about a few people that God has truly used to be a vessel for Him in my life.
I will start with Becky, and she is truly an amazing woman of God who God hand picked to put in my life. We are able to open up to each other and be real.
Next is Kaniela who I can not even begin to explain what He means to me. He is an incredible man of God who I respect with all my heart. I know God is moving in this man's life and He is using him in my life also.
Finally is Alex who has been so real with me. He is a city guy from the states but acts like you took him right out of the backwoods in Louisiana. He is an inspiration to me.
I love God and am astonished at His love and mercy to never leave us when we fall.
~Jeremiah 20:9
Just when you think you are on fire for God you read a scripture like this one. God takes you from that mountain top to that low valley in one swift wind. I thought I was on fire of God and then I realized that was not completely true. I was not so on fire that my bones felt like they were on fire. I was not so on fire that I could not hold it in. I was not so on fire that I could not contain myself. I just thought I was on fire.
What does it mean to be on fire? What does it look like to be on fire? These are not questions I can answer, because it will look different for everyone. I can not tell you what you need to do to be on fire other than fully giving yourself to the Lord. I am on my way to this amazing wonder and the new realm of my Christian walk. I am scared to death of public speaking and of a new language but even this will not stop the work of God in my life. God is so much bigger than my mild, lame stumbling blocks. I could sit here and give you a list of excuses of why I am not worthy to be called a child of God but in the end it does not matter if I think I’m worthy or not. It is by the grace of God that He counts me worthy. I will never understand but I do not have to; all I’m called to do is be a living testimony to my Lord and Savior. I am to tell people the unfailing love of God, the never changing faithfullness, and the steadfast grace. I am to tell the real life of a Christian and not to sugar coat it. I am to tell the good and the bad times, the blessings and the struggles. I am to tell about the Armor of God and the role it plays in a Christian's life.
I have to praise God for the lessons I have already learned while in Greece. Many of these lessons did not come from the classroom I’m sad to say but they come for the bigger aspect of things. They come from the everyday things you take for granted and the people you fail to listen to. They come from the best friend and the enemy. God can use any situation to further your knowledge as long as we go in with an open heart.
I can not finish this blog without telling about a few people that God has truly used to be a vessel for Him in my life.
I will start with Becky, and she is truly an amazing woman of God who God hand picked to put in my life. We are able to open up to each other and be real.
Next is Kaniela who I can not even begin to explain what He means to me. He is an incredible man of God who I respect with all my heart. I know God is moving in this man's life and He is using him in my life also.
Finally is Alex who has been so real with me. He is a city guy from the states but acts like you took him right out of the backwoods in Louisiana. He is an inspiration to me.
I love God and am astonished at His love and mercy to never leave us when we fall.
Friday, September 19, 2008
Greek Bible Institute.....
I can not begin to explain the amazing first week I have had here at the Bible Institute. God is truly faithful in all he does.
When I first got here I was worried about who my roommate was. I knew I was having a Greek roommate and I was just praying that we would get alone and there be no problems. It is hard enough to live with someone in close spaces like in dorms but being from a different country with a different culture and language I was thinking would be a little tough, but with the gracious God we serve he had already hand picked the perfect person for me. When I first walked into the room no one was in here and I was just getting things unpacked when I found out the girl had asked to be my roommate because she was into sports and also a nurse. We have so much in common it is crazy. God provides in all areas of our life.
Next was meeting all the people who was going to be in the Alpha Program with me. There are 14 of us from all over the United States, Canada, Spain and Papanewgani. So again what anyone would think is how do you all mesh. Well it should not come to your surprise that God placed each one of us into each others life for a reason and we all compliment the other with our strengths and weaknesses. God is allowing us to really love one another and allow us to grow together in our walk with Him.
The next encounter was for us to meet the other side of the program which was the Greek students. Again no surprise that God is allowing us to open up to one another and really try to learn about each others cultures. Even within the Americans we have different cultural backgrounds so you know that with people from other countries there would be many differences, but that is what makes up our group and what makes it so unique.
Finally our surrounds and the language barrier. We have spent the week going to different places that we will need to know about like the supermarket, the bank, the pharamacy, and of course the center of the city. The hardest part is knowing what all buses take you where and how to get to the metro, but once you get that down you can pretty much do anything.
So with this week God has opened me up to a whole new group of people in my life and a whole new adventure to come.
When I first got here I was worried about who my roommate was. I knew I was having a Greek roommate and I was just praying that we would get alone and there be no problems. It is hard enough to live with someone in close spaces like in dorms but being from a different country with a different culture and language I was thinking would be a little tough, but with the gracious God we serve he had already hand picked the perfect person for me. When I first walked into the room no one was in here and I was just getting things unpacked when I found out the girl had asked to be my roommate because she was into sports and also a nurse. We have so much in common it is crazy. God provides in all areas of our life.
Next was meeting all the people who was going to be in the Alpha Program with me. There are 14 of us from all over the United States, Canada, Spain and Papanewgani. So again what anyone would think is how do you all mesh. Well it should not come to your surprise that God placed each one of us into each others life for a reason and we all compliment the other with our strengths and weaknesses. God is allowing us to really love one another and allow us to grow together in our walk with Him.
The next encounter was for us to meet the other side of the program which was the Greek students. Again no surprise that God is allowing us to open up to one another and really try to learn about each others cultures. Even within the Americans we have different cultural backgrounds so you know that with people from other countries there would be many differences, but that is what makes up our group and what makes it so unique.
Finally our surrounds and the language barrier. We have spent the week going to different places that we will need to know about like the supermarket, the bank, the pharamacy, and of course the center of the city. The hardest part is knowing what all buses take you where and how to get to the metro, but once you get that down you can pretty much do anything.
So with this week God has opened me up to a whole new group of people in my life and a whole new adventure to come.
Thursday, August 7, 2008
God is Calling
I am back in America and waiting on my return to Greece. My heart is ready for the ministry God has placed before me and I can not wait to see how things turn out. I know that I have many things to do here at home in order to go back and I also have many family and friends to visit but I do not need to get lost in that. I need to keep my faith strong and my wisdom sharp. I need to keep Christ first and not let the struggles of this town take hold of me. I long to be with the kids in Greece, but know that I have to live a life that is Holy and praiseworthy at all times no matter the cost. I have to live this life through the thick and the thin and I can not allow Satan to attack me in the ways he knows I am weak. I need to take the armor of God and fasten it on with trust. I need to depend on God and not my own understanding and my own concerns and desires. God says that your wickedness will punish you; your backsliding will rebuke you ~Jeremiah 2:19a. I don’t want either one; but in reality who does. In the moment everything is going good but we need to remember what is Holy to God and what is praiseworthy to Him; and in all these things we need to remember who we are and what we represent when we say we are children of God. I am a child of God and I am saying now for Satan to flee from me. God is our refuge and strength, an ever present help in trouble ~Psalm 46:1. So, to the Lord I cry aloud, and he answers me from his holy hill ~Psalm 3:4.
There will be times that I face trials and many times I will fail but I hold the truths in James 1:2-4 dear to my heart. It says, “Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance. Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.” So in my trials though hard and frustrating; it is allowing my heart and soul to mature. I know that as a Christian I am always growing and maturing. I pray that my trials will be few and that within those trials God will teach me and guide me closer to His truths.
I know that God is calling me to speak His word and share who He is. I am to tell people about the amazing God I serve. I am to glorify Him in my actions and my words. I pray that my heart will be the same as that in Jeremiah 20:9 which says, “If I say, I will not mention him, or speak any more in His name, His word is in my heart like a fire, a fire shut up in my bones. I am weary of holding it in; indeed, I cannot.” I want that burning passion in my heart. I want the passion that if I don’t speak out that I will grow weary. The word of God is in my heart and if I don’t let it out it will be like a burning fire. We need to voice the word of God and set that fire loose. We need to let that fire start in our family, in our community, in our town/city, in our country, and in our world. We do not need to hold our tongue and be timid for this is not the time for timidity. We are called to proclaim the word of God to all those who we come in contact with. Is that something we are doing? I know that for me to be completely honest with you; I have not been fully faithful in this area of my life. I should share the word freely and without fear. What is there to fear? God say, “Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be terrified nor dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go ~Joshua 1:9. God promised us that he will be with us wherever we go. God has not given us a spirit of fear and if we are obedient to Him, we will be protected.
I got this email the other day telling about God’s disappointment with our nation; and if you look at our nation today can you blame him? Our nation is full of evil and wicked sins. We have turned from God in so many ways. We read in the Bible about how God handled nations that rebuked him and turned from him. What makes us think that He will not do the same with us? There are many things that our nation needs to come back to. We need to remember who created us and who gives us each breath we take. In the email there were seven things that we as Christians need to do to turn back to God and to bring the nation back to God. We need not be content with how things are and the evil in the land. We need to stand up and fight.
1. Break up the fallow ground- return to me- REPENT
Get on your face before God and ask him to break your heart with the things that break His heart.
Jeremiah 4:3
2. Mourn- It is time to weep because our nation’s sin is incredible.
Jeremiah 9:17&18 and Ezekiel 9
3. Pray- Pray fervently, passionately for America
Jeremiah 36:7
4. Love God’s word- You must love the word of God and be in the word of God.
Jeremiah 20
5. Love others as Jesus loved them.
Jeremiah 31:3 and John 13:34
6. Introduce people to Jesus Christ. It is serious this is not a time for timidity.
Jeremiah 31:31 and Jeremiah 33:1-9, 15, &17
7. Rest
Ezekiel 14- Read until you understand it.
There will be times that I face trials and many times I will fail but I hold the truths in James 1:2-4 dear to my heart. It says, “Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance. Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.” So in my trials though hard and frustrating; it is allowing my heart and soul to mature. I know that as a Christian I am always growing and maturing. I pray that my trials will be few and that within those trials God will teach me and guide me closer to His truths.
I know that God is calling me to speak His word and share who He is. I am to tell people about the amazing God I serve. I am to glorify Him in my actions and my words. I pray that my heart will be the same as that in Jeremiah 20:9 which says, “If I say, I will not mention him, or speak any more in His name, His word is in my heart like a fire, a fire shut up in my bones. I am weary of holding it in; indeed, I cannot.” I want that burning passion in my heart. I want the passion that if I don’t speak out that I will grow weary. The word of God is in my heart and if I don’t let it out it will be like a burning fire. We need to voice the word of God and set that fire loose. We need to let that fire start in our family, in our community, in our town/city, in our country, and in our world. We do not need to hold our tongue and be timid for this is not the time for timidity. We are called to proclaim the word of God to all those who we come in contact with. Is that something we are doing? I know that for me to be completely honest with you; I have not been fully faithful in this area of my life. I should share the word freely and without fear. What is there to fear? God say, “Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be terrified nor dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go ~Joshua 1:9. God promised us that he will be with us wherever we go. God has not given us a spirit of fear and if we are obedient to Him, we will be protected.
I got this email the other day telling about God’s disappointment with our nation; and if you look at our nation today can you blame him? Our nation is full of evil and wicked sins. We have turned from God in so many ways. We read in the Bible about how God handled nations that rebuked him and turned from him. What makes us think that He will not do the same with us? There are many things that our nation needs to come back to. We need to remember who created us and who gives us each breath we take. In the email there were seven things that we as Christians need to do to turn back to God and to bring the nation back to God. We need not be content with how things are and the evil in the land. We need to stand up and fight.
1. Break up the fallow ground- return to me- REPENT
Get on your face before God and ask him to break your heart with the things that break His heart.
Jeremiah 4:3
2. Mourn- It is time to weep because our nation’s sin is incredible.
Jeremiah 9:17&18 and Ezekiel 9
3. Pray- Pray fervently, passionately for America
Jeremiah 36:7
4. Love God’s word- You must love the word of God and be in the word of God.
Jeremiah 20
5. Love others as Jesus loved them.
Jeremiah 31:3 and John 13:34
6. Introduce people to Jesus Christ. It is serious this is not a time for timidity.
Jeremiah 31:31 and Jeremiah 33:1-9, 15, &17
7. Rest
Ezekiel 14- Read until you understand it.
Monday, July 28, 2008
Reflection
I returned to Athens on Friday and things have been pretty low key. I have had time to relax a little and to reflect on the past couple months. I have spent time with some very important people in my life and also have met many more that will become key people in my life in the next year.
As I reflect on the past months I am in aww of what God has done in my life. He has allowed me to grow up in some many ways; and has shown me how to live more independently . He is teaching me how to be a leader and how to make decisions not just on my own but with the understanding of His will in mind. This life is not for me to live how I want; but to live in the footsteps of Christ. God gives us this command and promise in Philippians 1:21 it says, "For unto me, to live is Christ and to die is gain." Christ has shown us the way to live and has also given us the instruction on how to live through the Bible. The problem is that we tend to over look the importance of the word of God and think that we can go though life taking care of each issue one at a time on our own. I can honeslty say that many times I fall into this trap and allow my human nature to shine telling myself that I can do this by myself; that I do not need any help and in the end things turn out as a huge disaster. I'm not saying that with being a Christian life is a breeze; at times it is even harder because you have the attacks of Satan in full force. You have to allow God to take your life and put your hope and trust in the fact that He is the all powerful and all mighty God who can transform any situation. He is the only one who can take what is dead and bring it back to life, or to offer out perfect love that is never ending and never failing. He is the only one who died on the cross for each of us and the only one who lived a perfect life. He took the weight of the world on His shoulders because He loved us and He created a path for us that would never exist without His pain and suffering on the cross.
I can not thank Him enough for what He did the day He took His last breathe but even with that He did more. He is the only one who rose again and is the only God still alive today. He is the author and creator of this place we call home.
I hold dear to the promise of life after death; the promise I mentioned earlier in Philippians 1:21, "To die is gain". There is no greater promise than that. I know that when I leave this world I will wake up with something greater than any earthly gift. I will wake up worshipping the one true God.
I pray that the time I spend in this life I will reflect the glory of this Holy God. I pray that with my decisions and with my actions I will uphold the laws He created. I know that many times I will fail; but I pray that I will get back up and make right the wrong I have done. I also pray that each day I will put on the full armor of God and go into battle againt the evil of this day. Ephesians 6:13-17, "Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand firm. Stand therefore, having fastened on the belt of truth, and having put on the breastplate of righteousness, and as shoes for your feet, having put on the readiness given by the gospel of peace. In all circumstances take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming darts of the evil one, and take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God, praying at all times in the Spirit, with all prayer and supplication". This is the way I pray to approach life each moment of each day by being prepared for the evil that will attack no matter the cost.
As I reflect on the past months I am in aww of what God has done in my life. He has allowed me to grow up in some many ways; and has shown me how to live more independently . He is teaching me how to be a leader and how to make decisions not just on my own but with the understanding of His will in mind. This life is not for me to live how I want; but to live in the footsteps of Christ. God gives us this command and promise in Philippians 1:21 it says, "For unto me, to live is Christ and to die is gain." Christ has shown us the way to live and has also given us the instruction on how to live through the Bible. The problem is that we tend to over look the importance of the word of God and think that we can go though life taking care of each issue one at a time on our own. I can honeslty say that many times I fall into this trap and allow my human nature to shine telling myself that I can do this by myself; that I do not need any help and in the end things turn out as a huge disaster. I'm not saying that with being a Christian life is a breeze; at times it is even harder because you have the attacks of Satan in full force. You have to allow God to take your life and put your hope and trust in the fact that He is the all powerful and all mighty God who can transform any situation. He is the only one who can take what is dead and bring it back to life, or to offer out perfect love that is never ending and never failing. He is the only one who died on the cross for each of us and the only one who lived a perfect life. He took the weight of the world on His shoulders because He loved us and He created a path for us that would never exist without His pain and suffering on the cross.
I can not thank Him enough for what He did the day He took His last breathe but even with that He did more. He is the only one who rose again and is the only God still alive today. He is the author and creator of this place we call home.
I hold dear to the promise of life after death; the promise I mentioned earlier in Philippians 1:21, "To die is gain". There is no greater promise than that. I know that when I leave this world I will wake up with something greater than any earthly gift. I will wake up worshipping the one true God.
I pray that the time I spend in this life I will reflect the glory of this Holy God. I pray that with my decisions and with my actions I will uphold the laws He created. I know that many times I will fail; but I pray that I will get back up and make right the wrong I have done. I also pray that each day I will put on the full armor of God and go into battle againt the evil of this day. Ephesians 6:13-17, "Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand firm. Stand therefore, having fastened on the belt of truth, and having put on the breastplate of righteousness, and as shoes for your feet, having put on the readiness given by the gospel of peace. In all circumstances take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming darts of the evil one, and take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God, praying at all times in the Spirit, with all prayer and supplication". This is the way I pray to approach life each moment of each day by being prepared for the evil that will attack no matter the cost.
Friday, July 25, 2008
Καλαμος
I think this may be the hardest blog to write, because I can not fully express what happened in my life while I was at Καλαμος. I went with the intention of helping with the games the teenagers would be doing at the camp but God had a bigger plan for my life.
The camp is in Καλαμος up in the mountains. The best part of the camp is that you really do stay in tents. As you walk up the side of the mountain there are concrete slabs with a nice sturdy tent on each one. The area where we had worship every morning was probably one of the best views in all of Greece. As you sit and look from the top of the mountain at night all you can see is the lights from the city on the other mountain; and in between is the sea. Can you imagine this picture? At the foot of the mountains is the sea and all the beaches; it was incredible!
Now a little about the camp and the kids. There was about 100 people including the staff and I was the only one who didn't know Greek; so you can already imagine how who things went. Well this holds true for the first few days anyway. I was so lost and I had no idea what was going to happen next. I just followed along with the group. The good thing is that some of the teenagers knew how to speak English but not many of the youngers one and that is the ones I had in my tent. So after about two days at this camp I didn't think I was going to make it any longer. I was frustrated and annoyed because I could not understand a thing that was going on. One night I was at the meeting with the other leaders and I of course had no clue what was being said and I just got up and left because I could not stand to hear another word of Greek. I went to a quiet place and spent time with God. I was not happy and I started asking Him why He sent me here and why He would not let me understand the language. I questioned God on many things about my trip and my stay in Greece and pleaded for answers and some direction. I felt like I was at the end of my rope and I was just about to let go when God in all His wonder came to take my hand and lower me from my rope. He didn't set me down on the ground but instead He has been carrying me in the past couple days. He has been holding me tight and using everybody around me to open up my heart to the plan He has for me.
On Monday we took the kids to another camp where we spent the day with the people there. I soon found out that this camp was an English speaking camp and that I would be able to understand what the people were saying. You can not begin to imagine how excited I was to hear all the people speaking and being able to understand what they were saying. I was just sitting there taking it all in when God started knocking on the door to my heart. He was wanting to tell me something but I had to stop long enough to listen. I had to sit back in the mist of all the excitement that was going on around me and focus on God. I went under the main tent and opened up my Bible to Jonah. I was reading about how Jonah was called to Nineveh. God says in Jonah 1:1&2 "The word of the Lord came to Jonah son of Amittai: Go to the great city of Nineveh and preach against it, because its wickedness has come up before me." God had a plan for Jonah but as we all know Jonah was scared and ran from the Lord. In verse 3 the Bible tells us "But Jonah ran away from the Lord and headed fro Tarshish. He went down to Joppa, where he found a ship bound for that port. After paying the fare, he went aboard and sailed for Tarshish to flee from the Lord."
This is very important because this is what I was ready to do. I was ready to just go home and run away from the call of God in my life. The entire summer has been fairly easy and I know now it was because I was surrounded with Americans and we spoke English. This week was very different because I truly was thrown into the Greek culture and was living among the Greek people. I was immersed in the Greek language and there was no way that everything could me translated. I was afraid just like Jonah and was ready to run as far away from Greece as he was from Nineveh. I was ready to turn my back and act like God was not speaking to me.
As I was reading the book of Jonah the leader from the camp was speaking to the kids, but I continued to read because at this point he was speaking in Greek so there was no reason for me to even pay attention. Then in English he called a young man from Seattle to come up and give a few words, and this is what he talked about.
He started by saying "What am I doing here? Why am I "wasting" my time here in Greece? Why am I not going to school and getting a great job back at home?" These are some questions that his friends keep asking him and his answer was simple. He said because this is where God has called me to be and I'm being obedient to Him. He noted the fact that God does not call everyone to a foreign country to serve; but when He does call someone He wants them to serve with all their heart and to not be afraid becuase He is your strength. God will not call you and not take care of you. The next point he made was from the book of Jonah. Now what does that tell you. I had just read to last of Jonah when he pointed out what happened to Jonah when he ran from the Lord; 1:17-2:1-10. In summary Jonah was swallowed up by a huge fish and was inside for three days and three nights.
God showed me at that point Greece is where He wants me to be and that it may not be easy all the time; but when is life always easy. When do you go through every day and not have some kind of struggle of some sort? From that moment on the people began to glow and the spirit of God was pouring into my heart. Then that night at the meeting I began to understand some of the Greek words and the language became so beautiful to me. I was longing to hear more of it when just the night before I could have screamed if I heard another word.
God will always give us the peace and comfort we need, and also the strength to pursue His calling for our life. God is beyond explaination.
He is love!
The camp is in Καλαμος up in the mountains. The best part of the camp is that you really do stay in tents. As you walk up the side of the mountain there are concrete slabs with a nice sturdy tent on each one. The area where we had worship every morning was probably one of the best views in all of Greece. As you sit and look from the top of the mountain at night all you can see is the lights from the city on the other mountain; and in between is the sea. Can you imagine this picture? At the foot of the mountains is the sea and all the beaches; it was incredible!
Now a little about the camp and the kids. There was about 100 people including the staff and I was the only one who didn't know Greek; so you can already imagine how who things went. Well this holds true for the first few days anyway. I was so lost and I had no idea what was going to happen next. I just followed along with the group. The good thing is that some of the teenagers knew how to speak English but not many of the youngers one and that is the ones I had in my tent. So after about two days at this camp I didn't think I was going to make it any longer. I was frustrated and annoyed because I could not understand a thing that was going on. One night I was at the meeting with the other leaders and I of course had no clue what was being said and I just got up and left because I could not stand to hear another word of Greek. I went to a quiet place and spent time with God. I was not happy and I started asking Him why He sent me here and why He would not let me understand the language. I questioned God on many things about my trip and my stay in Greece and pleaded for answers and some direction. I felt like I was at the end of my rope and I was just about to let go when God in all His wonder came to take my hand and lower me from my rope. He didn't set me down on the ground but instead He has been carrying me in the past couple days. He has been holding me tight and using everybody around me to open up my heart to the plan He has for me.
On Monday we took the kids to another camp where we spent the day with the people there. I soon found out that this camp was an English speaking camp and that I would be able to understand what the people were saying. You can not begin to imagine how excited I was to hear all the people speaking and being able to understand what they were saying. I was just sitting there taking it all in when God started knocking on the door to my heart. He was wanting to tell me something but I had to stop long enough to listen. I had to sit back in the mist of all the excitement that was going on around me and focus on God. I went under the main tent and opened up my Bible to Jonah. I was reading about how Jonah was called to Nineveh. God says in Jonah 1:1&2 "The word of the Lord came to Jonah son of Amittai: Go to the great city of Nineveh and preach against it, because its wickedness has come up before me." God had a plan for Jonah but as we all know Jonah was scared and ran from the Lord. In verse 3 the Bible tells us "But Jonah ran away from the Lord and headed fro Tarshish. He went down to Joppa, where he found a ship bound for that port. After paying the fare, he went aboard and sailed for Tarshish to flee from the Lord."
This is very important because this is what I was ready to do. I was ready to just go home and run away from the call of God in my life. The entire summer has been fairly easy and I know now it was because I was surrounded with Americans and we spoke English. This week was very different because I truly was thrown into the Greek culture and was living among the Greek people. I was immersed in the Greek language and there was no way that everything could me translated. I was afraid just like Jonah and was ready to run as far away from Greece as he was from Nineveh. I was ready to turn my back and act like God was not speaking to me.
As I was reading the book of Jonah the leader from the camp was speaking to the kids, but I continued to read because at this point he was speaking in Greek so there was no reason for me to even pay attention. Then in English he called a young man from Seattle to come up and give a few words, and this is what he talked about.
He started by saying "What am I doing here? Why am I "wasting" my time here in Greece? Why am I not going to school and getting a great job back at home?" These are some questions that his friends keep asking him and his answer was simple. He said because this is where God has called me to be and I'm being obedient to Him. He noted the fact that God does not call everyone to a foreign country to serve; but when He does call someone He wants them to serve with all their heart and to not be afraid becuase He is your strength. God will not call you and not take care of you. The next point he made was from the book of Jonah. Now what does that tell you. I had just read to last of Jonah when he pointed out what happened to Jonah when he ran from the Lord; 1:17-2:1-10. In summary Jonah was swallowed up by a huge fish and was inside for three days and three nights.
God showed me at that point Greece is where He wants me to be and that it may not be easy all the time; but when is life always easy. When do you go through every day and not have some kind of struggle of some sort? From that moment on the people began to glow and the spirit of God was pouring into my heart. Then that night at the meeting I began to understand some of the Greek words and the language became so beautiful to me. I was longing to hear more of it when just the night before I could have screamed if I heard another word.
God will always give us the peace and comfort we need, and also the strength to pursue His calling for our life. God is beyond explaination.
He is love!
Wednesday, July 16, 2008
My Family
Yesterday I received some mail from my family and it was the sweetest things I have ever read. My momma and some of the kids sent me letters; it was so encouraging to read each of them and to see the pictures the kids drew. Each of them told me how much they missed and loved me. I just want to thank God for each of them and I am so blessed to have each of them in my life.
Daddy has always been my strong hand and comforter in time of need. He is always there no matter what the situation is. He is a very loving father who always say he loves me. The best part of growing up is knowing that my dad will always be by my side and that he will never leave me. He is not afraid to come up and give me the biggest hug; and I miss that more than anything.
Momma is the one I talk to about most things. She is always there to listen when I'm ready to talk. She has never left my side no matter how far away I go. I know I can depend on her to make sure I'm doing ok. Through God's work in her life she is becoming one of my biggest supporters.
Miranda is my oldest sister and more like a second mom for me; she is always the one I go to when I need someone. I love just talking with her and hanging out because she is one of the funniest people you will ever meet. I love just having her around.
Brigette is my middle sister and she brings life to the faimly. I miss stopping by her house and visiting with her and the kids. She is a great person to talk to and she brings a smile to my face.
Rusty is my only brother and my best friend. I miss him so much and wish he was here with me. Growing up there was no way you could get me away from him; I would follow him everywhere he went and I wanted to be just like him. He played a major role in my love for sports.
Lucy is my future sister in law and I think everyone should have to meet this small town girl; because she will bring a smile to your face. In the beginning I struggled to get her to talk but now we are becoming good friends. I enjoy her presence and I miss her also.
James and Jason are my two brother in laws and they add a whole new deminision to the family. I enjoy having them around and I miss them.
I really miss each of the kids. Jacob for the love he has for me and the bond we formed when he was just a baby. Jamie for her amazing love for sports and just for who she is in general. James for the activity and excitement he always has. Mamie for her sweet and pure heart. Danielle for the times we have together. She is the oldest and I can't wait to see her play soccer for WOHS. CJ, who is more like my brother, for the great times we always have when we are together. He is always ready to go play tennis with me (CJ we need to go when I get back!!). Denver for his kind words when he has not seen me in a while. And most importantly Brintlee for being the cutiest little thing you will ever see. He is such a joy to be around.
And last but for sure not least I miss Jersey; for you who do not know she is the most amazing dog. I miss the excitement she has to see me when I get home in the afternoon and the love she always gives. She is my perfect little angel.
Monday, July 14, 2008
Prayer
I write this blog with a prayer of my own. I pray that you will read with an open heart and a willingness to join me in my prayers. I know that there are many out there who are suffering and hurting and seeking a miracle and that is exactly what I am praying for right now for three people that have come to my attention. One of which I was honored to have meet and will remember his huge smile and loving heart for the rest of my life.
He is a young man who in less than a week captured my heart and showed me what perfect love is really about. He is a young man who brightens the lives of every single person who comes in contact with him. This man is the prime example of what a growing Chirstian should look like and is someone I will stive for the rest of my life to be even half as amazing as he is. When thinking about him God brings Philippians 2:3&4 to mind. "Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider others better than yourselves. Each of you should look not only to your own interests, but also to the interest of others." I wish everyone back in the states could come and meet this young man and get a glimpse of true life. His name is Yiannis and he was in a very serious car accident and is in serious condition. He has been in the hospital for several weeks now and his condition has not changed much. I pray for a mircle in his life and that God will allow Him to continue to live his extraordinary life.
The next is a man I have never met but a family member of mine is very close to him. His name is Mike. Mike found out he has a brain tumor and is now in the beginning of many long days to come. I pray for him in his struggles; that he will remember that God is with him. I pray that Joshua 1:9 will be placed in his heart each moment of each day. "Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be terrified, do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go."
Finally the last is a little girl named Katie. She is three years old and recently has been diagnosed with hepatoblastoms which is a very rare liver cancer. It occurs in about 1 in every million children born in the U.S. I can not even begin to understand what that family is going through. I am not able to find the words to explain how my heart felt when I was reading the email telling me about this young child. I know that God will use this situation for great wonders and His glory will be maginfied but it is hard for us humans to fully understand and to capture the works of God. For this family I pray Psalm 46:1 "God is our refuge and strength, an everpresent help in trouble."
Father I came to you now with little understanding of how magnificent you truly are; every time I think I have figured you out you open another door that makes me step back and long to see who you really are. I may not always understand what you are doing and why things happen the way they do but that is not for me to know. The bible says "Clouds and thick darkness surround him; righteousness and justice are the foundation of his throne. Fire goes before him and consumes his foe on every side. His lightening lights up the world, the earth sees and trembles. The mountains melt like wax before the Lord, before the Lord of all the earth." ~Psalms 97:2-5 Father, this is beautiful for me to hear because someone with this kind of power is someone to be feared; someone who can do more than my mind can fathom. I know that with each situation you are the ruler of all and you are more than capable of performing whatever miracle you see fit. I pray that you will be done today and all the days to come and I also pray for each individual I have wrote about.
First for Yiannis; Father I pray most of all for his comfort. I pray that he is not in pain and that even while in a coma his spirit will remember you. You are huge in his life and the center piece of who he is. Thank you for the tremendous blessing it was for me to have meet him before the accident. He has and will continue to be a person well respected by me and many others. I also pray for his family and friends who need you God. The need to feel your loving arms around them and to remember that in all that happens you will never leave their side. Finally I pray for the medical staff who is taking the upmost care for him. I know many of them are praying for him everyday. I pray they continue and not lose hope.
Next, Father I pray for Mike. I pray once again for him to lean on you for his strength and to seek your face in every struggle and joy in his life. I also pray for the medical staff responsible for taking care of Mike. I pray for their hearts that they may know you Father.
Finally, I pray for Katie. This is a hard one because she is so young and I'm sure so precious. I pray that you ease her pain and that she will not be scared. I pray that her family will remember you and know to bring all their frustration and questions to you.
Father thank you for who you are and the love and compassion you give to me each day. I pray that I will follow you wherever you take me.
In your precious and Holy name I pray.
Amen
He is a young man who in less than a week captured my heart and showed me what perfect love is really about. He is a young man who brightens the lives of every single person who comes in contact with him. This man is the prime example of what a growing Chirstian should look like and is someone I will stive for the rest of my life to be even half as amazing as he is. When thinking about him God brings Philippians 2:3&4 to mind. "Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider others better than yourselves. Each of you should look not only to your own interests, but also to the interest of others." I wish everyone back in the states could come and meet this young man and get a glimpse of true life. His name is Yiannis and he was in a very serious car accident and is in serious condition. He has been in the hospital for several weeks now and his condition has not changed much. I pray for a mircle in his life and that God will allow Him to continue to live his extraordinary life.
The next is a man I have never met but a family member of mine is very close to him. His name is Mike. Mike found out he has a brain tumor and is now in the beginning of many long days to come. I pray for him in his struggles; that he will remember that God is with him. I pray that Joshua 1:9 will be placed in his heart each moment of each day. "Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be terrified, do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go."
Finally the last is a little girl named Katie. She is three years old and recently has been diagnosed with hepatoblastoms which is a very rare liver cancer. It occurs in about 1 in every million children born in the U.S. I can not even begin to understand what that family is going through. I am not able to find the words to explain how my heart felt when I was reading the email telling me about this young child. I know that God will use this situation for great wonders and His glory will be maginfied but it is hard for us humans to fully understand and to capture the works of God. For this family I pray Psalm 46:1 "God is our refuge and strength, an everpresent help in trouble."
Father I came to you now with little understanding of how magnificent you truly are; every time I think I have figured you out you open another door that makes me step back and long to see who you really are. I may not always understand what you are doing and why things happen the way they do but that is not for me to know. The bible says "Clouds and thick darkness surround him; righteousness and justice are the foundation of his throne. Fire goes before him and consumes his foe on every side. His lightening lights up the world, the earth sees and trembles. The mountains melt like wax before the Lord, before the Lord of all the earth." ~Psalms 97:2-5 Father, this is beautiful for me to hear because someone with this kind of power is someone to be feared; someone who can do more than my mind can fathom. I know that with each situation you are the ruler of all and you are more than capable of performing whatever miracle you see fit. I pray that you will be done today and all the days to come and I also pray for each individual I have wrote about.
First for Yiannis; Father I pray most of all for his comfort. I pray that he is not in pain and that even while in a coma his spirit will remember you. You are huge in his life and the center piece of who he is. Thank you for the tremendous blessing it was for me to have meet him before the accident. He has and will continue to be a person well respected by me and many others. I also pray for his family and friends who need you God. The need to feel your loving arms around them and to remember that in all that happens you will never leave their side. Finally I pray for the medical staff who is taking the upmost care for him. I know many of them are praying for him everyday. I pray they continue and not lose hope.
Next, Father I pray for Mike. I pray once again for him to lean on you for his strength and to seek your face in every struggle and joy in his life. I also pray for the medical staff responsible for taking care of Mike. I pray for their hearts that they may know you Father.
Finally, I pray for Katie. This is a hard one because she is so young and I'm sure so precious. I pray that you ease her pain and that she will not be scared. I pray that her family will remember you and know to bring all their frustration and questions to you.
Father thank you for who you are and the love and compassion you give to me each day. I pray that I will follow you wherever you take me.
In your precious and Holy name I pray.
Amen
Sunday, July 13, 2008
Stamp Greece and World Changers
I arrived back in Greece on Friday night and was greeted on Saturday with a group from Chicago called Stamp Greece. They have been a great group to work with; all have a heart for God and a love for missions. On Saturday night we went to the square and a group put on a concert for the community along with some puppets. I had a great time watching the team interact with the community; kids and adults.
Also at the concert I met a couple from Monroe, LA who go to First West. (For those of you who do not know, that is my home church). God allowed me to met these people and to have amazing fellowship with them. He sent them all the way to Athens, Greece and placed them in my path for a reason. It was a huge encouragement to met them and to talk about people we both know. We talked about Bro. Avant, Whit and Michelle Bass, Woods Watson, and Coach Weatherbie. It warmed my heart to hear the names of each of them because they all mean so much to me; and all had a huge role in getting me to Greece. I love how God has no boundries and will always give you more than you can ever imagine.
This morning another group, World Changers, came from various states in America and will be working on the community center. I was honored to show them the way to the community center and also to tell them a bit about the vision for the area. I am very excited to work with this group and to see the difference they will make at the center. God is going to do some great things this week and I'm ready to be a part of it.
Finally I want to leave you with a verse I read today that gave me joy and comfort.
But you, dear friends, build yourselves up in your most holy faith and pray in the Holy Spirit. Keep yourselves in God's love as you wait for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ to bring you to eternal life. ~Jude 20 and 21
Also at the concert I met a couple from Monroe, LA who go to First West. (For those of you who do not know, that is my home church). God allowed me to met these people and to have amazing fellowship with them. He sent them all the way to Athens, Greece and placed them in my path for a reason. It was a huge encouragement to met them and to talk about people we both know. We talked about Bro. Avant, Whit and Michelle Bass, Woods Watson, and Coach Weatherbie. It warmed my heart to hear the names of each of them because they all mean so much to me; and all had a huge role in getting me to Greece. I love how God has no boundries and will always give you more than you can ever imagine.
This morning another group, World Changers, came from various states in America and will be working on the community center. I was honored to show them the way to the community center and also to tell them a bit about the vision for the area. I am very excited to work with this group and to see the difference they will make at the center. God is going to do some great things this week and I'm ready to be a part of it.
Finally I want to leave you with a verse I read today that gave me joy and comfort.
But you, dear friends, build yourselves up in your most holy faith and pray in the Holy Spirit. Keep yourselves in God's love as you wait for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ to bring you to eternal life. ~Jude 20 and 21
Saturday, July 12, 2008
Drama
My next adventure in Greece was a small town called Drama. I will have to admit dispite the great people we met and the amazing love each one showed for our group; it was the hardest week I've had since I have been here.
I have a hard time understanding why it was hard for me considering we went to some great places and God worked in a mighty way. The first day in Drama was on a Saturday and we had the whole day off to do whatever we wanted. So with that in mind we went to Philippi to see the ancient ruins and also to the beach.
I have a hard time understanding why it was hard for me considering we went to some great places and God worked in a mighty way. The first day in Drama was on a Saturday and we had the whole day off to do whatever we wanted. So with that in mind we went to Philippi to see the ancient ruins and also to the beach.
Philippi made me a very happy woman due to the fact that Philippians is my favorite book in the Bible; God works in so many ways when you can actually see where things from the Bible took place. I was able to see the church that Paul started in Philippi; the area is mentioned in Acts 16:12. I sat at the place where Lydia was baptized (Acts 16:11-15) and had a prayer with my feet in the ice cold water that still flows today. We took pictures in front of the prison where Paul and Silas were jailed (Acts 16:16-40).
As you walk through the streets of what use to be an ancient city your mind begins to wonder. You think back to all the verses you have read and all the sermons that have come from each one; but when you are standing in the same area Paul was standing when He preached to the Philippians the verses and words no longer seem to be so long ago and so ancient. They become alive. You now see a glimpse of what they saw; and how they lived.
After leaving Philippi we went over to Kavalla, which is a modern port city, there we enjoyed once again the beauty of Greece and all it has to offer. At Kavalla we went to a beach that was more beautiful that words can ever begin to explain.
After leaving Philippi we went over to Kavalla, which is a modern port city, there we enjoyed once again the beauty of Greece and all it has to offer. At Kavalla we went to a beach that was more beautiful that words can ever begin to explain.
Finally we returned to Drama with a week of work ahead of us. In Drama we had programs at night for the kids in the area which included a Bible lesson, games, crafts, and singing. The first night we even had about 7 or 8 teenagers who we sat and had question and answer dicussion with. God allowed His spirit to move in the hearts of the teenagers as we sat with them for about 2 hours. They opened up to us and asked some really hard questions that under our own power and wisdom we would have never been able to answer; but God being all mighty and all powerful spoke through us to answer each question with true honesty. I pray for each of these teenagers; each with their own struggles and hardships. I pray God will continue to work in their lives. One girl stated to her friend later that she already knew what we were saying about Jesus and she still does not believe and then another had questions about how to become a Christian. So this is let you know the distance between the group but also the friendship they hold with one another. I pray that God will use this to draw them closer to each other and also to Him.
Later in the week we joined with a group from Kavalla to do open air evanglism at the park in Drama. The first program was with the children; then the later program was for the teenagers and adults. The program included puppets and a Bible lesson for the children and then a presentation of the Gospel through a drawing for the adults. God was moving in both programs. For the children about 40 kids attended and about 30 Jesus Films were passed out. For the adults many people heard the Gospel and some New Testaments were passed out. The pastor of the chruch in Drama was allowed to speak with a man about all of the New Testament and He also had some questions about Salvation. I ask that you pray for this man for he is searching for who God is and is also homeless.
Each day we had the morning off and had some great fellowship with one another. Sharon, Thomas, and I were blessed with not only meeting each other but we also met some amazing people in Drama. Each person there showed us great love and opened their homes to us. I will never forget the people and most of all the Pastor and his family.
Even with all that God was doing in my life and the lives of the people around me; Satan was still attacking me. So many times in the week I allowed Satan to get the best of me. I allowed him to take some of my peace away and also some of my patience away. He took me down and was holding me there so that I could not get up. He made my body tired and would not allow me to rest. I then relized on Tuesday when the Pastor was preaching that I had forgotten to put on the Armor of God each day (Ephesians 6:10-20); and with this Satan had free aim for anything in my life that he could use to bring me down.
I ask for prayer in many areas; pray for strength to continue each day, wisdom to speak the word of God, courage to be bold, the understanding of faith and where it may lead me, and also love and comfort to know that I'm not alone.
Monday, July 7, 2008
The City of Thessaloniki
One afternoon when we had some free time we ventured to the city of Thessaloniki. Sharon, Thomas, and I took the well known bus to the train station where we were met by our new Greek friends. I was so excited to see the city but even more excited to have the Greeks join us. It is not every day you are accompanied by the locals in a foreign country.
It was so amazing to see the passion and joy the guys had about showing us around their city; and the fact that they were open to whatever we wanted to do no matter how many times we wanted to do it.
From the moment we stepped off the bus my heart was overwhelmed with the presence of the city. I for one am not use to the city life; but this was different it was a Greek city. The atmosphere was low key and the sidewalks were flowing with people. As you enter the center of the city you are welcomed with the beauty of the water and many ancient wonders.
I can truly say that with each step I took the city became more alive to me. It was not just people roaming around and words unspoken but it was full of laughter and happiness. The smell of the food rolled from the cafes making your mouth water with each one we past. The slashing of the water on the cement wall along with the roar of chants filling the streets was consuming. My whole being was taken by the city.
I was thinking we would just go into the city have some food and hangout for a bit and then head back to the camp but who am I to plan my path each day. God had so much more in store for me. As we walked along to water boats were coming in, so of course we asked the guys if we could take a ride. As the boat left the city rocking back and forth through the water my heart came to rest. I sat there looking back into the lights that define each street in the city, the lights that bring beauty and character to each store. God at that moment gave me a glimpse of who He is and the wonders He creates. Each person, each store, each street, and each inch of the city was created to bless and honor Him.
The next moment was even more life changing for me. As I entered back into the city after the boat ride it was no longer just empty streets but it was new territory waiting to be explored. I was ready to walk down each one to see what there was to offer. I was ready to enter each café to experience the taste of the mouth watering food. I was ready to sit in the square to understand the ways of the people. I was ready to talk with the kids to hear what they had to say. My heart fell in love with the city and the people.
I had more fun than I could ever have imagined and God restored my soul as the guys allowed us to drag them from one place to the next. So I just want to take a moment to thank both Harrys and Dimitri for giving us their time. They are both amazing men and I will miss them both.
It was so amazing to see the passion and joy the guys had about showing us around their city; and the fact that they were open to whatever we wanted to do no matter how many times we wanted to do it.
From the moment we stepped off the bus my heart was overwhelmed with the presence of the city. I for one am not use to the city life; but this was different it was a Greek city. The atmosphere was low key and the sidewalks were flowing with people. As you enter the center of the city you are welcomed with the beauty of the water and many ancient wonders.
I can truly say that with each step I took the city became more alive to me. It was not just people roaming around and words unspoken but it was full of laughter and happiness. The smell of the food rolled from the cafes making your mouth water with each one we past. The slashing of the water on the cement wall along with the roar of chants filling the streets was consuming. My whole being was taken by the city.
I was thinking we would just go into the city have some food and hangout for a bit and then head back to the camp but who am I to plan my path each day. God had so much more in store for me. As we walked along to water boats were coming in, so of course we asked the guys if we could take a ride. As the boat left the city rocking back and forth through the water my heart came to rest. I sat there looking back into the lights that define each street in the city, the lights that bring beauty and character to each store. God at that moment gave me a glimpse of who He is and the wonders He creates. Each person, each store, each street, and each inch of the city was created to bless and honor Him.
The next moment was even more life changing for me. As I entered back into the city after the boat ride it was no longer just empty streets but it was new territory waiting to be explored. I was ready to walk down each one to see what there was to offer. I was ready to enter each café to experience the taste of the mouth watering food. I was ready to sit in the square to understand the ways of the people. I was ready to talk with the kids to hear what they had to say. My heart fell in love with the city and the people.
I had more fun than I could ever have imagined and God restored my soul as the guys allowed us to drag them from one place to the next. So I just want to take a moment to thank both Harrys and Dimitri for giving us their time. They are both amazing men and I will miss them both.
Sunday, July 6, 2008
Love
What does love look like to us? Does it appear to come easy or do we have to work at it? Does love consists of the enabling of our whole being or do we love half heartedly? Do we give ourselves up fully to others and count them as higher than ourselves? Do we love those who we may not know or do we love those who do us wrong?
I think that if I was to answer these questions with complete honesty the end result would be sad. I do not always love people with the perfect love of Christ. I feel like for the most part I fall short of this for the mere fact that I’m not sure what His perfect love looks like, and if I do not have this perfect love already in my heart how do I expect to give it away to anyone? Also I feel that sometimes I’m just not open to loving others the way Christ calls me too. I think Christ is longing to show me the beauty of who people really are but I have to allow Him to work in my life. I will never be able to see the inter beauty of people through my own eyes; I have to see them through the eyes of Jesus.
The beauty of this dilemma is that Christ tells us what His perfect love looks like. He tells us in 1 Corinthians 13.
“If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I am a noisy gong or a clanging cymbol. And if I have prophetic powers, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have all faith, so as to remove mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. If I give away all I have, and if I deliver up my body to be burned, but have not love, I gain nothing.
Love is patient and kind, love does not envy or boast; it is not arrogant or rude. It does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful; it does not rejoice at wrongdoing, but rejoices with the truth. Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.
Love never ends. As for prophecies, they will pass away; as for tongues; they will cease; as for knowledge, it will pass away. For we know in part and we prophesy in part, but when the perfect comes, the partial will pass away. When I was a child, I spoke like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I gave up childish ways. For now we see in a mirror dimly, but than face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I have been fully known.
So now faith, hope, and love abide, these three; but the greatest of these is love.”
God is teaching me day by day how to love all those who cross my path. It does not matter how I truly feel about them because God created them perfect in His glory. He created each individual with an overwhelming beauty. We may not see what Christ sees but He calls us to search for the inner beauty that each person holds. We may not understand the things people do or the logic behind their actions but Christ will use each situation for His glory.
I pray that Christ will take my heart and transform it; that it may abound with unfailing, unyielding love. This is a love that by no means will I ever be able to attain; it is a love that Christ will have to pour into my life each moment of each day.
I think that if I was to answer these questions with complete honesty the end result would be sad. I do not always love people with the perfect love of Christ. I feel like for the most part I fall short of this for the mere fact that I’m not sure what His perfect love looks like, and if I do not have this perfect love already in my heart how do I expect to give it away to anyone? Also I feel that sometimes I’m just not open to loving others the way Christ calls me too. I think Christ is longing to show me the beauty of who people really are but I have to allow Him to work in my life. I will never be able to see the inter beauty of people through my own eyes; I have to see them through the eyes of Jesus.
The beauty of this dilemma is that Christ tells us what His perfect love looks like. He tells us in 1 Corinthians 13.
“If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I am a noisy gong or a clanging cymbol. And if I have prophetic powers, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have all faith, so as to remove mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. If I give away all I have, and if I deliver up my body to be burned, but have not love, I gain nothing.
Love is patient and kind, love does not envy or boast; it is not arrogant or rude. It does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful; it does not rejoice at wrongdoing, but rejoices with the truth. Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.
Love never ends. As for prophecies, they will pass away; as for tongues; they will cease; as for knowledge, it will pass away. For we know in part and we prophesy in part, but when the perfect comes, the partial will pass away. When I was a child, I spoke like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I gave up childish ways. For now we see in a mirror dimly, but than face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I have been fully known.
So now faith, hope, and love abide, these three; but the greatest of these is love.”
God is teaching me day by day how to love all those who cross my path. It does not matter how I truly feel about them because God created them perfect in His glory. He created each individual with an overwhelming beauty. We may not see what Christ sees but He calls us to search for the inner beauty that each person holds. We may not understand the things people do or the logic behind their actions but Christ will use each situation for His glory.
I pray that Christ will take my heart and transform it; that it may abound with unfailing, unyielding love. This is a love that by no means will I ever be able to attain; it is a love that Christ will have to pour into my life each moment of each day.
Open Eyes
1 Corinthians 12: 4-7
So many things have happened in my life since I have last wrote you. I am now in Thessaloniki and have been here since Tuesday. I would have updated you earlier but we are at a camp up in the mountains with no wireless connection.
As I left Athens I was not sure about my time here. I was worried due to the fact that the first of the two camps I will be working here is a drama and arts camp. Anyone who knows me can tell you that is not my area of knowledge. I came with the idea that I would have to just some how make it through the first one so I could get to the second one; which is a sports camp.
As I was going through my week leading up to traveling to Thessaloniki God opened my heart. He showed me that He is ready to use me in all areas. He does not want me to be so narrow minded. He would like for me to open up to new ideas and new types of people. This was and still is hard for me to grasp and to understand knowing that He wants to use me in an area that I really know nothing about; but the beauty is God knows about all things. He is ready to teach me. He is ready to open my eyes and heart to something more than just sports. Can you believe that; there is something more than sports? I am breaking into a realm of life I never imagined stepping foot in. God is bigger than the world of sports and He can join people’s hearts in more creative ways.
I have learned by putting myself in a box I have also put Jesus in a box. I see now that God can and will use me in every aspect of my life only if I allow Him too. I need to learn more attributes that God holds dear to His heart.
Before I even left the states God began to show me what true patients is really about. He was showing me how to be patient more than with just people but also with my spiritual life. Now I feel that God is ready to show me more than that. He is teaching me how to have true passion for Him. I am right on the edge of this idea and do not completely know what it will look like or how I will even go about it. I just know that God is ready to do more with me than I could ever imagine. He is ready to show me a glimpse of His light; a part of His light that I have never seen before. He has been wanting my to see it for a long time now but I have closed myself off to the idea of it.
I realized this morning when we were getting ready for breakfast just how far away from home I really was. I was just sitting on the steps listening to the kids talk and I had no idea what they were saying or what they were talking about. For a brief moment I felt alone and homesick. I felt like God had brought me to a place were I would not be able to minister. Then God took my heart and allowed me to see that He was there for me and that He has me here for a reason. I may not know this reason but in His time He will begin to reveal it to me. All I know is that God is ready and I am overwhelmed with all He has for me.
God allowed me to see His love and compassion today. I was playing soccer with the boys today and I made my first goal. I was so excited; but then later in the game I made my second goal and all the boys were yelling that is two. It gave me such joy, but what was more exciting and more heartbreaking was after my second goal one of the little boys, Alex, ran up and gave me a big hug. I can not even begin to explain how it made me feel. I just love the Lord.
I want to thank everyone who is out there praying for me and supporting me in my ministry here in Greece. God has blessed me in so many ways and I want you to know that He is blessing you each time He blesses me. Each day with each heart touched and each life changed you are being blessed. Thank you.
So many things have happened in my life since I have last wrote you. I am now in Thessaloniki and have been here since Tuesday. I would have updated you earlier but we are at a camp up in the mountains with no wireless connection.
As I left Athens I was not sure about my time here. I was worried due to the fact that the first of the two camps I will be working here is a drama and arts camp. Anyone who knows me can tell you that is not my area of knowledge. I came with the idea that I would have to just some how make it through the first one so I could get to the second one; which is a sports camp.
As I was going through my week leading up to traveling to Thessaloniki God opened my heart. He showed me that He is ready to use me in all areas. He does not want me to be so narrow minded. He would like for me to open up to new ideas and new types of people. This was and still is hard for me to grasp and to understand knowing that He wants to use me in an area that I really know nothing about; but the beauty is God knows about all things. He is ready to teach me. He is ready to open my eyes and heart to something more than just sports. Can you believe that; there is something more than sports? I am breaking into a realm of life I never imagined stepping foot in. God is bigger than the world of sports and He can join people’s hearts in more creative ways.
I have learned by putting myself in a box I have also put Jesus in a box. I see now that God can and will use me in every aspect of my life only if I allow Him too. I need to learn more attributes that God holds dear to His heart.
Before I even left the states God began to show me what true patients is really about. He was showing me how to be patient more than with just people but also with my spiritual life. Now I feel that God is ready to show me more than that. He is teaching me how to have true passion for Him. I am right on the edge of this idea and do not completely know what it will look like or how I will even go about it. I just know that God is ready to do more with me than I could ever imagine. He is ready to show me a glimpse of His light; a part of His light that I have never seen before. He has been wanting my to see it for a long time now but I have closed myself off to the idea of it.
I realized this morning when we were getting ready for breakfast just how far away from home I really was. I was just sitting on the steps listening to the kids talk and I had no idea what they were saying or what they were talking about. For a brief moment I felt alone and homesick. I felt like God had brought me to a place were I would not be able to minister. Then God took my heart and allowed me to see that He was there for me and that He has me here for a reason. I may not know this reason but in His time He will begin to reveal it to me. All I know is that God is ready and I am overwhelmed with all He has for me.
God allowed me to see His love and compassion today. I was playing soccer with the boys today and I made my first goal. I was so excited; but then later in the game I made my second goal and all the boys were yelling that is two. It gave me such joy, but what was more exciting and more heartbreaking was after my second goal one of the little boys, Alex, ran up and gave me a big hug. I can not even begin to explain how it made me feel. I just love the Lord.
I want to thank everyone who is out there praying for me and supporting me in my ministry here in Greece. God has blessed me in so many ways and I want you to know that He is blessing you each time He blesses me. Each day with each heart touched and each life changed you are being blessed. Thank you.
Sunday, June 22, 2008
Things Change
I am big on things being the same wether I plan on it or not. If I park in one spot more than likely the next time I go I will park in the same spot. I have a routine in the things that I do and the way I act. This to me is interesting due to the fact that I'm not a structured person and tend to be more open to new ideas.
Things here in Greece have changed for me today; the group from D.C. left bright and early this morning. I can be truthful and say I miss them greatly already, but I also know things change for a reason. God put them in my life for a reason and for a season and the season was just a short one for the time being. The good news is that I have 7 new friends that I have been honored to meet and have learned so much from them.
The other change is on Tuesday the group of 4 from Chicago will be leaving and I will also be leaving for Thessaloniki. Once again a change and new faces to meet and feel comfortable around. I love this for the fact that God is teaching me how to truly open up to people and to allow someone new into my life without completely knowing what it will look like or what the future will hold.
God is teaching me patience and understanding that I will not always know what is going to happen or how things will come about but to have faith in Him to know that everything is taken care of. In chruch this morning Pastor Giotis made some very good points. He said that God is the gospel. Many times we sit back and ask for all these things from God and when He does not answer we get upset and don't understand why He would just ignore our request. I will have to say that God always anwers but sometimes the answer is just not what we want to hear. Sometimes He is just saying no. Jesus is not someone we have to make things easier but He is there to intercede on our behalf and He is enough for me. What more do we need and what more could we be asking for? Is not Jesus enough? Is not His life, death, and returning not enough for us?
One last note I would like you to be praying for a young man I have meet in my time here and he helped out with many of the things we were doing in the community. This young man had a very viberant heart for the Lord and was a very skillfull person. The kids surrounded him with joy and laughter. He was in an accident and is in serious condition. We are not sure what the results will be but we do know that he is in God's hands. When the wreck happened he was preparing his speech he was going to give at the Christian camp he would be attending. I know that I am praying for him as well as many others but I also encourage you too also. His name is Yannis.
Things here in Greece have changed for me today; the group from D.C. left bright and early this morning. I can be truthful and say I miss them greatly already, but I also know things change for a reason. God put them in my life for a reason and for a season and the season was just a short one for the time being. The good news is that I have 7 new friends that I have been honored to meet and have learned so much from them.
The other change is on Tuesday the group of 4 from Chicago will be leaving and I will also be leaving for Thessaloniki. Once again a change and new faces to meet and feel comfortable around. I love this for the fact that God is teaching me how to truly open up to people and to allow someone new into my life without completely knowing what it will look like or what the future will hold.
God is teaching me patience and understanding that I will not always know what is going to happen or how things will come about but to have faith in Him to know that everything is taken care of. In chruch this morning Pastor Giotis made some very good points. He said that God is the gospel. Many times we sit back and ask for all these things from God and when He does not answer we get upset and don't understand why He would just ignore our request. I will have to say that God always anwers but sometimes the answer is just not what we want to hear. Sometimes He is just saying no. Jesus is not someone we have to make things easier but He is there to intercede on our behalf and He is enough for me. What more do we need and what more could we be asking for? Is not Jesus enough? Is not His life, death, and returning not enough for us?
One last note I would like you to be praying for a young man I have meet in my time here and he helped out with many of the things we were doing in the community. This young man had a very viberant heart for the Lord and was a very skillfull person. The kids surrounded him with joy and laughter. He was in an accident and is in serious condition. We are not sure what the results will be but we do know that he is in God's hands. When the wreck happened he was preparing his speech he was going to give at the Christian camp he would be attending. I know that I am praying for him as well as many others but I also encourage you too also. His name is Yannis.
Wednesday, June 18, 2008
Life In Greece
Life in Greece is much like life in the United States; the kids are still running around with nothing to do and the parents are running from jobs to the market then home each night. Life is not different around the world; ideas are different, languages are different but our God will never change. The foundation of the world and the hope of eternity lay in the hands of those who choose to explore the truths of God. The choice to take a gift we are not worthy of and live life with the secret wisdom of Christ. My joy is that the secret wisdom of God is no secret to those who believe in Him. The secret is revealed when we enter into the relationship with Christ.
The culture in Greece is very different from that in America. The Greeks are very into relationships and spending time with one other. They are not structured with tasks planned out for weeks to come and organization is unheard of. They truly live in the moment.
I will take some time to tell you some of the things I have done in Greece and how God has been moving in my life but I will not be able to fully explain the depths of His vision for me due to the fact that I feel like I will be putting Him in a box and limiting His mighty power.
The main focus of this week has been this community center that I will be working with when I return in the fall. This center is in a community that has been forgotten by Athens and are lower class. They are not the wealthy or middle class but live from penny to penny. Many of the kids in the area have to work to help with money and are not able to attend school. In the fall the center will function as a school for many of the kids but will also be used in many other areas.
I have been honored to met up with two teams of ladies this week who have also helped with the community center. The center will be ready to open tonight with many long days of hard work; putting together sinks, painting tables, and cleaning windows. Although each day many different tasks are performed the love put into the building is alive and growing. The love and the hope is based on what God has laid on each of their hearts. The amazing part of the work these ladies are doing is the mere fact that they will not see the full fruits of their labor; although they have been blessed with a taste.
Each person on each team had different gifts and different visions but Chirst brought all those different ideas and formed a beautiful evenly balanced group of ladies. The fact that for a week 12 ladies could all work in a small room with no air conditioner doing hard labor without complaining and bickering was an intervention by God himself. Christ was kind enough to give each person inspiration each day by revealing His truth to each of them in a variety of ways.
I will always remember these ladies and the blessing and acceptance they openly gave me. They will remain in my heart and share a special place never to be forgotten. Each one taught me something special and opened my eyes to Christ in a whole new light. They truly showed me the perfect love of Christ from the moment they walked into my life. I will continue to pray for each of them as they go their seperate ways and remember the impact they had in my life.
The culture in Greece is very different from that in America. The Greeks are very into relationships and spending time with one other. They are not structured with tasks planned out for weeks to come and organization is unheard of. They truly live in the moment.
I will take some time to tell you some of the things I have done in Greece and how God has been moving in my life but I will not be able to fully explain the depths of His vision for me due to the fact that I feel like I will be putting Him in a box and limiting His mighty power.
The main focus of this week has been this community center that I will be working with when I return in the fall. This center is in a community that has been forgotten by Athens and are lower class. They are not the wealthy or middle class but live from penny to penny. Many of the kids in the area have to work to help with money and are not able to attend school. In the fall the center will function as a school for many of the kids but will also be used in many other areas.
I have been honored to met up with two teams of ladies this week who have also helped with the community center. The center will be ready to open tonight with many long days of hard work; putting together sinks, painting tables, and cleaning windows. Although each day many different tasks are performed the love put into the building is alive and growing. The love and the hope is based on what God has laid on each of their hearts. The amazing part of the work these ladies are doing is the mere fact that they will not see the full fruits of their labor; although they have been blessed with a taste.
Each person on each team had different gifts and different visions but Chirst brought all those different ideas and formed a beautiful evenly balanced group of ladies. The fact that for a week 12 ladies could all work in a small room with no air conditioner doing hard labor without complaining and bickering was an intervention by God himself. Christ was kind enough to give each person inspiration each day by revealing His truth to each of them in a variety of ways.
I will always remember these ladies and the blessing and acceptance they openly gave me. They will remain in my heart and share a special place never to be forgotten. Each one taught me something special and opened my eyes to Christ in a whole new light. They truly showed me the perfect love of Christ from the moment they walked into my life. I will continue to pray for each of them as they go their seperate ways and remember the impact they had in my life.
Tuesday, May 20, 2008
Awaiting Departure
In anticaption of my departure for Athens, Greece; God is working on my heart. God is truly teaching me patience. I have learned that things do not come easy and they may not always come when you want it. I have been pushed outside my comfort zone and forced to rely and lean on the strengths of others. I being put in situations where I have to ask for help from others. Christ is showing me that it is ok to need help and that I'm not strong enough to do things on my own. I can only succeed in this mission that God has given me through the strength of God and not my own. I thought that by me saying, "Lord here I am send me" that things would just magically fall into place. Man did God have other plans for me.
In the past month or two God has placed many people in my path to encourage me and to lead me in a new direction. God is opening my eyes to a new day and a new focus. I have been a Christian for many years now, actully more years than not, and it still amazes me how God can contiune to teach me more each day. I'm learning that what I think is important and what I hold on too is not always what is best.
There is one person that God has placed in my life and I truly believe he was handpicked by God. I have learned so much from him in the past two years and God continues to use him in my life. I know that no matter what he will be there and will be behind me 100%. He is always willing to listen and give advice when needed. I love the fact that no matter how happy or mad I am I know that I can always turn to him. God has used him to teach me in all areas of my life and I will never be able to thank God enough for placing him in my life. He will be my best friend forever no matter what happens.
Also in these last weeks here God has placed some women in my life that will always hold a special place in my heart. They have taken me in and really showed me what Godly love is all about. They have shown me with actions and also words. God's love in perfect and He wants us to love others with that same love. What a statement that God wants us to love others with this perfect love, and when He says others He means everyone. He means our family, friends, enemies, and complete strangers. This blows my mind that I am to love strangers the same way I love my family but then it hit me. I am going to be in a different country surrounded with strangers and I am called to love them; I am called to serve them. How can I minister to this new country and new people if I choose not to love them. I have to go with an open mind and a heart full of the love of God because my heart is not enough.
I am choosing today to love others with a love I can only give with a heart united and fully commited to our Lord and Savior.
In the past month or two God has placed many people in my path to encourage me and to lead me in a new direction. God is opening my eyes to a new day and a new focus. I have been a Christian for many years now, actully more years than not, and it still amazes me how God can contiune to teach me more each day. I'm learning that what I think is important and what I hold on too is not always what is best.
There is one person that God has placed in my life and I truly believe he was handpicked by God. I have learned so much from him in the past two years and God continues to use him in my life. I know that no matter what he will be there and will be behind me 100%. He is always willing to listen and give advice when needed. I love the fact that no matter how happy or mad I am I know that I can always turn to him. God has used him to teach me in all areas of my life and I will never be able to thank God enough for placing him in my life. He will be my best friend forever no matter what happens.
Also in these last weeks here God has placed some women in my life that will always hold a special place in my heart. They have taken me in and really showed me what Godly love is all about. They have shown me with actions and also words. God's love in perfect and He wants us to love others with that same love. What a statement that God wants us to love others with this perfect love, and when He says others He means everyone. He means our family, friends, enemies, and complete strangers. This blows my mind that I am to love strangers the same way I love my family but then it hit me. I am going to be in a different country surrounded with strangers and I am called to love them; I am called to serve them. How can I minister to this new country and new people if I choose not to love them. I have to go with an open mind and a heart full of the love of God because my heart is not enough.
I am choosing today to love others with a love I can only give with a heart united and fully commited to our Lord and Savior.
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